Tank M4 Sherman Engine. Weight

Almost in parallel with the design of the MOH, the development of a new tank began, in which it was supposed to eliminate the shortcomings of the latter, in particular the unsuccessful placement of a 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 manufactured, which received the designation T6. Then, in Aberdeen, the assembly of the prototype began with a cast upper part of the body. At the same time, a machine with a welded body, but without a tower, was created in 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 Department of Arms.

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

M4A2 medium tank during tests at the NIIIBT Test Site in Kubinka. Summer of 1942.

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

One of two M4A4 tanks delivered to the USSR during the Second World War at a training ground in Kubinka. 1945 year.

From February 1942 to July 1945, 6 major modifications of the M4 tank consisted of mass production. Fundamentally, all models of the Sherman tank (M4, M4A1, M4A2, M4AZ, M4A4, M4A6) did not differ from each other. In appearance, only M4A1 with its molded case stood out sharply. Guns, turrets, placement of units and assemblies, chassis - everything was the same. Over time, all models received a single cast frontal part - the cover of the transmission compartment (instead of the three-piece team used previously), the oval hatch of the loader, bulwark, patch side armor and much more. Initially, the tanks had inspection slots in the frontal sheet of the hull, then they were covered with armored casings and periscopes were inserted, and finally, at the end of 1943 and the beginning of 1944, a whole frontal plate appeared and the hatches were transferred to the roof of the hull. True, I had to reduce the angle of inclination of the frontal armor from 56 ° to 47 ° from the vertical.

The main difference between the "Sherman" from each other was the type of power plant. So, on the M4 and M4A1, the 9-cylinder Continental R-975 radial carburetor engine was used; on M4A2 - a spark of GMC diesel engines; For the M4AZ, a GAA-8 carbureted 8-cylinder Ford engine was designed (by the way, the most powerful of all used on the Shermans - 500 hp at 2600 rpm) and, finally, five were installed on the M4A4 in a single unit Chrysler Multibank A-57 gasoline engines. To install such a unit, I had to lengthen the case a little. The M4A6 case was the same length, but the RD1820 Caterpillar diesel engine was used as a power plant. On all versions, the transmission was located in the front of the hull, which led to a relatively large tank height.

By the beginning of 1943, the command of the armored forces of the US Army came to the conclusion that the war could not be finished with tanks of modifications that were being produced. This point of view led to the first major modernization associated with 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 developed project documentation and produced prototypes of all new models. In these tanks, the ammunition was transferred from the fenders 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” warhead was the placement of cannon shots in drawer-cartridges, the double walls of which were filled with water. It was assumed that in the event of a shell getting into the warhead, water would spill and prevent a fire. On tanks with 105 mm howitzers, the ammunition was "dry" in armored boxes.

The appearance of the commander’s turret with a periscope device and six beveled triplex blocks made it possible to sharply improve visibility from the commander’s place. Somewhat later, the loader's oval hatch was replaced by a round two-wing.

The installation of a powerful 76 mm M1A1 gun (with a muzzle brake - M1A2) with an initial armor-piercing projectile speed of 810 m / s allowed the Shermans to fight with 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. Prototypes were designated as M4E8, M4A1E8, M4A2E8 and M4AZE8. The mass of the tank increased slightly, but due to the use of wider tracks, the specific pressure on the ground decreased, and the patency not only did not decrease, but even increased. At the end of March 1945, the production of General Sherman tanks with horizontal suspension began. A new chassis received all the modifications produced at that time. It is rather difficult to single out any of them as the best, since there were no fundamental differences in the tactical and technical data between them. It should be noted that only M4AZ tanks of various options were not supplied to anyone under Lend-Lease and as a result of this accounted for more than half of the “Sherman” in the US Army. Other modifications were intensively exported. Suffice it to say that only 17174 M4 (Sherman I), M4A1 (Sherman II), M4A2 (Sherman III) and IW4A4 (Sherman V) were delivered to England alone through Lend-Lease. The name "Sherman IV" was received by M4AZ; 7 vehicles were delivered to England - the only exported tanks of this modification.

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

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

The hull of the M4A2 tank was welded from rolled armored plates. Its frontal part consisted of a massive cast part (on tanks of the first series — welded, detachable in three parts), which served simultaneously as a transmission sunroof cover and a crankcase for the rotation mechanism, and a 50 mm thick top sheet located at an angle of 56 ° to the vertical. Cast frontal part was attached to the top sheet, side sheets and the bottom with bolts. From the outside, the crankcases of the final drives were attached to it from the sides.

The upper frontal sheet was welded to the sides and the roof of the hull. In the lower part of the right mounted ball machine gun, to the right and above which was a cylindrical socket antenna input (in case the tank was equipped with two radio stations). In the upper part of the frontal sheet there were two protrusions in which there were viewing slots with triplexes that opened from the inside of the tank. From the second half of 1942, armor plates and then molded caps were welded to the protrusions; instead of viewing slits, periscope monitoring devices of MB were installed. At the end of 1943, a one-piece 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 of the release of 1943-1944, before transferring the ammunition 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 sheet. The aft part of the hull consisted of two inclined (10 ... 12 °) sheets - upper and lower. The upper one was displaced with respect to the lower one so that a pocket was formed between them to let out air coming from the fans. The armor of the sides and stern had a thickness of 38 mm, the roof of the hull - 18 mm.

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

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, feed - 50 mm, and the roof of the tower - 25 mm, respectively. In front of the tower was attached a mask-installation (armor thickness - 90 mm). On the roof of the tower there was a landing hatch, a ventilation hatch of the fighting compartment, closed by an armored hood, two hatches of observation devices and an antenna input. The landing hatch was closed with a double-wing lid, hinged in a rotating turret of an anti-aircraft machine gun. Since December 1943, an oval loader hatch appeared on the roof of the tower.

The tower was driven into rotation by a hydroelectric rotary mechanism or manually. Using the hydroelectric mechanism, the tower could be rotated 360 ° in a period of 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 tower of an increased size, but with the same diameter of the tower epaulet in the light, was installed on the tank. Armament was 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 arm and an antenna input. On the left side of the tower was a hatch for firing from personal weapons, a fan of the fighting compartment was mounted at the stern.

"Sherman" tractor from the Morozovskaya railway station in the North Caucasus is now exhibited 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.

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

Two 7.62 mm Browning M1919A4 machine guns were installed in the tank, one coaxial with a cannon, the other with a directional, and a 50.8 mm MZ grenade launcher. On the roof of the tower was mounted anti-aircraft large-caliber 12.7-mm machine gun Browning M2HB.

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

On the M4A2 tank, the GMC 6046 model 71 powerplant was installed, consisting of two 6-cylinder two-stroke uncompressed in-line diesels located in parallel and connected into one unit with a capacity of 375 hp at 2100 rpm The engines were started by electric starters. To facilitate winter start-up, two flare nozzles with glow plugs for each engine were used.

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

Tank M4A2 Senior Lieutenant N. Sumarokov. 3rd Ukrainian Front, 1944.

A column of M4A2 tanks with an armored landing. 1943 year. Despite the smooth running, it was difficult to stay on the Sherman, since there were no handrails or staples on the tank. In the American army, motorized infantry was transported by armored personnel carriers and cars.

M4A2 tanks on the march to the front line. 1944 year.

The chassis of the M4A2 and M4A2 (76) W tanks for one side consisted of six single rubberized road wheels, paired in pairs in three balancing trolleys, suspended on two vertical buffer springs each; three supporting rollers, steering wheel, front wheel drive with removable gear rims (pinion gear). Each track contains 79 double-ridge tracks with a width of 420.6 mm and a track pitch of 152 mm. Metal or rubber-metal tracks with silent block.

The chassis of the M4A2 (76) W HVSS tank for one side consisted of six double rubberized road wheels, pairwise interlocked in three balance trolleys, suspended on two horizontal buffer springs each; three single and two double support rollers, a rubberized guide wheel, front wheel drive with removable gear crowns (pinion gear). Each track 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 silent block. A hydraulic shock absorber was installed in each suspension trolley.

Tanks M4A2 of all options were released 10 968 pieces, of which 8053 - with a 75 mm gun. Since the American army received only tanks with gasoline engines, the M4A2 was used in the United States as a training one and was supplied by Lend-Lease to other countries, mainly to England (7418 units). A certain amount of M4A2 was used by the US Marine Corps in battles in the Pacific Ocean. The main manufacturers were Fisher Tank Arsenal and Pulman Standard; at the end of 1942 they were joined by American Locomotive, Federal Machine and Welder and Boldwin. The release of the M4A2 with 75 mm guns was completed in May 1944. Then the Fisher Tank Arsenal company, the main producer of diesel Shermans, switched over to the production of the M4A2 (76) W and until May 1945 produced 2894 tanks, the Pressed Steel Car company produced 21 cars. The total production of M4A2 with a 76-mm gun was 2915 pieces.

According to American data, 1990 tanks with a 75 mm cannon and 2073 with 76 mm were delivered to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. In May 1945, the Red Army 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. Soviet specialists, with whom the nomenclature of supplied equipment was coordinated, were well aware of the difficulties that arose when operating MZs and MZl tanks in the USSR, whose gas engines could only work on imported high-octane gasoline.

It should be noted that the above number of machines sent does not match the number received. Thus, according to the admissions committee of the GBTU of the Red Army, 36 M4A2 tanks arrived in the USSR in 1942, 469 in 1943, 814 in 1944–2345, and 814 in 1945. In total, 3,664 vehicles were delivered in four years.

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

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

New American tanks were well received in the armored units of the Red Army. For example, in the report of the 5th Guards Tank Brigade, dated October 23, 1943, it was 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, as it has fragmentation and armor-piercing shells (blanks), the penetration of which is very high. The 75 mm cannon and two Browning machine guns are trouble-free. The disadvantages of the tank include high altitude, which is a target on the battlefield. The armor, despite the large thickness (60 mm), is poor-quality, as there were cases when at a distance of 80 meters it made its way out of the PTR. In addition, there were a number of cases when the Yu-87 bombed tanks from 20 mm cannons during bombing and pierced the side armor of the tower and side armor, resulting in losses among the crews. Compared with the T-34, the M4A2 is more easily controllable, more resilient during long marches, since the engines do not require frequent adjustment. In battle, these tanks work well. ”

According to reviews from the troops, when shelling tanks even with fragmentation ammunition, small fragments of fragments from the inside of the armor took place. This did not happen on all machines, but the Americans were nevertheless notified of this defect 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 the best quality armor.

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

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

Tank M4A2 of one of the parts 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 underwent intensive tests at specialized training grounds. Here are some excerpts from the "Report on tests of the medium American tank M4A2 in summer conditions. 1943 NIIIBT Test Site GBTU KA ":

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

Tank produced in 1942 by the Fisher Tank Arsenal.

Before the summer tests, the M4A2 tank passed 1285 km in winter and spring. Engines worked 89 hours.

During the summer tests, the tank covered 1765 km and 450 km along the highway. Engines worked in the summer for 87 hours.

By the end of the test, the tank passed 3050 km, the engines worked 176 hours.

Conclusion

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

2) Compliance with the frequency and volume of technical maintenance of the tank, indicated in the Memo to the crew of the M4A2 tank compiled by the Scientific Research Institute BT Polygon, fully ensures the normal and reliable operation of the tank.

3) GMC engines installed on the M4A2 tank reliably operate on domestic diesel fuel of the DT brand and diesel oil. Changing the engine oil must be done after 50-60 hours of operation.

4) The tank’s transmission can normally work 4,000-5,000 km without changing the American SAE-50 oil refueling, with which the M4L2 tanks arrive in the USSR. Refueling of the transmission must be done by the domestic aircraft oil “MK” or “MS”.

5) The metal and rubber-metal tracks in their adhesion to the ground in summer conditions are equivalent. When the M4A2 tank is operated on a metal caterpillar, the reliability of the undercarriage decreases (the service life of the rubber tires of the track rollers is particularly reduced). ”

It is difficult to add anything to this assessment of 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 say that, unfortunately, the fact of increased wear of the rubber tires of the road wheels during the intensive operation of tanks on a metal track was confirmed. Such a misfortune, for example, happened in parts of the 5th mechanized corps during the Iasi-Chisinau operation in August 1944.

Mass equipment of various units and formations of the Red Army with “Sherman” 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 parts and formations of the corps, the regiment took part in the Bereznegovato-Snigirevskoy offensive operation conducted by the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.

March 13, 1944 at the M4A2 tank of the guard of the second lieutenant V. A. Sivkov from the 212nd tank regiment with an air bomb broke the track chain. The crew was repairing the tank all day. 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 raids of enemy aircraft, driver-sergeant Ivan Volodin and gunner Sergeant Boris Kalinichenko were killed. Only two remained in the crew - the commander and gunner-radio operator Private P.K. Krestyaninov.

Dusk was already descending on the ground, air raids stopped. The tank was ready for battle again, but exactly half was missing from the crew. There was no one to lead the tank, but the tankers did not think to stay 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 soon as possible, which, according to their calculations, was supposed to be in the area with. I'm in the cinema. You can find out what happened afterwards from the award sheet:

“... Junior Lieutenant Sivkov V. A. on the night of March 13-14, following the route of the regiment, learned along the way that his route was in the village of Yavkin. This did not bother him, and he decided, by all means, to fight his way to his unit. Having come close to the village of Yavkin, the second lieutenant Sivkov opened hurricane fire from all types of weapons of the M4A2 tank, bursting into the village at maximum speed. Skillfully maneuvering through the streets, he created the appearance that at least 10 tanks burst into the village. The enemy in a panic rushed from one house to another, from one street to another, but everywhere fell under heavy fire and tank tracks ...

On the night of March 14-15, the enemy, pulling up considerable forces, launched a counterattack on the village of Yavkino. Reflecting the enemy attack, maneuvering around the village, the tank hit the anti-tank moat. Unable to use the cannon and machine guns, he gave the enemy the opportunity to come close to the tank and offer the crew to surrender, to which Sivkov answered by opening fire and with an exclamation: “Komsomol members are not surrendering!” - threw them with grenades.

The enemy fled, leaving a dozen corpses at the tank. Then junior lieutenant Sivkov, using an anti-aircraft gun, began to shoot the fleeing enemy. Having used up all the ammunition, not being able to wage a further fight, the second lieutenant Sivkov blew himself up and set fire to the tank.

Conclusion: I represent posthumously the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

  (The 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 bag and in it two sheets of finely scribbled paper, which reported:

“We, the remaining two in tank No. 17, Vadim Sivkov (tank commander, junior lieutenant) and radio operator Peter Krestyanyaninov, decided to die in our own tank rather than leave it.

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

The Germans twice approached the tank, but could not open. At the last minute of our life, we’ll blow up a tank with grenades so as not to hit the enemy. ”

For courage, bravery and unlimited devotion to the motherland, by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 3, 1944, junior lieutenant V. A. Sivkov and ordinary P. K. Krestyaninov were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

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

"Emcha" forces a water barrier along the floating bridge on the outskirts of Vienna. April 1945

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

The arrival of a significant number of "Shermans" allowed them to arm large units. So, for example, on June 22, 1944, the 3rd Guards Stalingrad Mechanized Corps, operating as part of the 3rd Belorussian Front, had 196 tanks, mainly of foreign production: 110 M4A2, 70 Valentine IX and 16 T-34s.

On July 2, 1944, five Sherman tanks from the 9th Guards Tank Brigade of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps, marching in the head march outpost under the command of the guard of senior lieutenant G. G. Kiyashko, crossed the river. Berezina and got the task to break into the city of Krasnoye and in case of successful development of events to capture him. The enemy garrison did not expect the appearance of Soviet troops. Tanks broke into the streets clogged with German cars. Firing guns and machine guns, armor and tracks, the guardsmen smashed the manpower and equipment of the enemy. The enemy was knocked 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 going to Krasnoye from Minsk. In order to survive until the approach of the main forces Kiyashko ambushed three tanks. By this time, the tank of Lieutenant E. N. Smirnov, whose rotary mechanism of the gun was damaged during ramming, took the wounded and departed to join the main forces of the brigade.

Soon, Soviet cars were attacked by German troops departing from Minsk to Molodechno via Krasnoye. Against three Soviet tanks, the Germans abandoned 20 tanks and self-propelled guns, including several Panthers, and before the infantry battalion. For several hours of unequal battle, three “Sherman” killed six German Pz tanks. IV, one Panther and the StuG III assault gun, were destroyed to the company of infantry. But the forces were unequal. All Soviet tanks were shot down, the remaining crews managed to break through to their own.

And here is another combat example. On July 26, 1944, tankers of the 44th Guards Tank Regiment started fighting on the outskirts of Šiauliai.

“The tank crews of the guard Lieutenant G. Milkov, V. Silysh and A. Safonov, with the crushing fire of their guns, exterminated the Nazis. 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 debris the enemy guns and machine guns fell silent. Enemy cars caught fire and the ammunition boxes in their bodies were torn. "House after house, street after street, the brave Soviet soldiers cleared of the resisting enemy."

The Shermans of the 43rd, 44th and 45th Guards Tank Regiments of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps freed Šiauliai and Jelgava, participated in the defeat of the Kurland enemy group.

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

“We got a new materiel - Shermans. As we did not want to get on these tanks! Their armor is not inclined. 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. Of the positive aspects, the presence of an anti-aircraft machine gun can be noted. Inside the tank is very comfortable - everything is painted with white paint, nickel-plated handles, seats are covered with leather. Rubber tracks are very quiet. On it 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 a forest. We were shelled in front of the village. The Germans were defensive self-propelled guns and anti-tank guns. They went a little back and along the edge of the forest, crushing the shrubbery, on low gas they went to the flank. I walked with four machine gunners, and the tank at the back. Sneaked up on three hundred meters. They ordered the submachine gunners to take up defense, so as not to let anyone in, and he returned to the tank. An armor-piercing burned a self-propelled gun, and then destroyed the gun. The German infantry fled. Thus, they opened the road.

"We fought at the Shermans for a short time, and by the autumn of the 44th year they had replaced them with the T-34–85."

Honestly, some opinions of the veteran tanker are surprising, in particular, criticism about the "not inclined" 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’s not inclined was only side armor. However, the main indicator of tank protection is frontal armor. According to the characteristics of side armor, 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, in terms of its ballistic characteristics it was identical to our F-34. Due to the better quality of ammunition, the American gun was superior to the Soviet one in armor penetration. Indeed, Sherman, which had a double differential as a turning mechanism, could not turn around. However, the veteran does not mention how much physical effort the T-34 driver cost a turn in place. The quiet course of the American tank was noted by all Soviet tankers. This was especially noticeable against the background of the T-34. "Thirty-four" with its engine roaring without silencers and rattling tracks with ridge gearing, according to the front-line soldiers, was heard on a quiet moonlit night for 3 km!

And finally, something does not fit in with the veteran and the rearmament on 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 (108 of them with 76 mm cannon) and 21 Valentine IX. There were no T-34–85 at all.

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

The column of "Sherman" on the street of Brno. 2nd Ukrainian Front, Czechoslovakia, April 1945.

On the street of Berlin - "Sherman" 219th tank brigade of the 1st mechanized corps. 1st Belorussian Front, May 1945.

Tankers are welcomed by Soviet girls freed from fascist captivity. In the background is the M4A2 tank. Berlin, May 1945.

By the way, the Sherman was not only quiet, but also had a smooth ride, which was especially appreciated by tank riflemen. According to the recollections of many veterans, from the second half of 1944, M4A2 tanks were actively used to combat the “Faustniki”. It was done like this. Four to five submachine gunners sat on the tank, which were attached to the brackets on the tower with lap belts. When the vehicle was moving, infantry fired on any shelters within a radius of 100–150 m, behind which there could be “fa-ostniks”. This technique was called "broom". And for the “broom” only “Shermans” were suitable. On the T-34, due to its candle suspension and its characteristic longitudinal buildup, it was almost impossible for the infantrymen tied with a lap belt to stay.

Another advantage of the “Sherman” over the domestic vehicles was appreciated by the tankers - these are excellent radio stations that provided reliable and high-quality radio communications! Here is how D.F. Loza put it on this subject:

“I must say that the quality of the radio stations on the Sherman tanks envied the tankers who fought on our tanks, and not only them, but also soldiers of other military branches. We even allowed ourselves to give presents to radio stations, which were perceived as “royal”, primarily to our gunners ...

For the first time, the radio communication of the brigade’s units was thoroughly tested in the January-March battles of the forty-fourth year in Right-Bank Ukraine and near Iasi.

As you know, at each “Sherman” there were two radio stations: VHF and HF. The first is for communication inside platoons and companies at a distance of 1.5–2 kilometers. The second type of radio station was intended to communicate with the senior commander. Good equipment. We especially liked that, having established a connection, we could tightly fix this wave - no shaking of the tank could bring it down.

And another unit in the American tank is still my admiration. In my opinion, we did not speak about him before. This is a small gasoline engine designed to recharge batteries. Wonderful thing! It was located in the fighting compartment, and its exhaust pipe was brought out on the starboard side. You could run it to recharge the batteries at any time. On the Soviet T-34 during the Great Patriotic War, in order to maintain the battery in working condition, it was necessary to drive five hundred horsepower of the engine, which was quite an expensive pleasure, given the consumption of motor resources and fuel ...

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

The presence of radio stations generally distinguished all Lend-Lease tanks from domestic ones for the better. The latter, as you know, 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 entering the USSR, including the Shermans, were equipped with English Wireless Sets No. 19 Mk radio stations. II. WS 19 radio stations have been produced in England since 1941, and since 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 tanks Matilda and Valentine, and since 1942, in addition to the English, Canadian and American-made radio stations began to arrive. The latter had all operational inscriptions in English and Russian. The equipment of all imported armored vehicles with radio stations of English design is not accidental, but this is not a tribute to unification. The fact is that American tanks conducted radio communications in the range of 20 ... 28 MHz using frequency modulation, while the WS 19 radio stations had the ranges of 2 ... 8 MHz and 229 ... 241 MHz, working in them by telegraph or amplitude modulation, that is, they were completely incompatible with regular radio stations of American tanks.

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

In 1944, the Shermans ousted foreign tanks of other brands from the tank units of the Red Army, with the exception of the Valentines. So, 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 included 350 T-34 tanks, 64 Sherman, 39 Valentine IX, 29 IS, 23 ISU-152, 42 SU-85, 22 SU-76, 21 self-propelled guns M10 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 the Bagration operation, only T-34s were second in terms of the number of Shermans.

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

During the Vistula-Oder operation, the 2nd Guards Tank Army was the 1st mechanized corps, equipped with Sherman and Valen-Tyne tanks. Subsequently, the corps took part in the assault on Berlin.

M4A2 tanks, especially in the version with a powerful 76-mm gun, fell in love with the Soviet tank crews. They were assigned quite a few friendly nicknames and nicknames. “Emcha” (from “um four”), “humpback”, “May bug”, “brontosaurus” in the hands of an experienced crew who knew his car well, its strengths and weaknesses, was terrible to the enemy. This is evidenced by many military examples.

On March 23, 1945, a battalion of the 46th Guards Tank Brigade of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps, commanded by Senior Lieutenant D.F. Loza, distinguished himself near the city of Veszprem in Hungary. 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 was like this:

“The sent intelligence - a platoon of the guard of lieutenant Ivan Tuzhikov - went to the approaches to Veszprem and disguised themselves in the forest, to the left of the highway. She discovered a large tank column of the enemy. “Fascist tanks are pushing towards you,” the platoon reported to me ... It was necessary to quickly withdraw the battalion and deploy it, preparing an ambush for a suitable convoy ... I give the command: “Do not delay! Follow everyone on the move! ”Ionov reported that he was behind a steel highway. I order him to go one more kilometer and turn around to the right of the road. He knows about the approach of the enemy column, as well as all the officers of the battalion.

Danilchenko’s platoons reached the southern outskirts of Khaimashker. From the west, twelve cars were driving along a country road at a speed. Great goal! .. It was obvious from everything that the enemy did not know the latest situation data in the area. He did not have intelligence and security ...

At a signal, eight Sherman Grigory Danilchenko was hit from cannons. Trucks caught fire. The surviving infantry began to jump out of the car bodies and scatter in different directions, but only a few managed to carry away their legs ...

I order the company Danilchenko to follow me. We pass a crossing, a fork in the road, walk about eight hundred meters forward, get off the highway to the right and deploy in battle formation. How lucky we are! Units were on the enemy artillery range, pitted with countless positions for guns of various calibers and shelters for their tractors. Well, just a case! We took those that fit us in size.

At this time, the enemy convoy, unaware of anything, continued to move north along the highway. The platoon of Lieutenant Tuzhikov was still watching her. Beyond the forest, the sun had already risen above the horizon. Visibility has improved. The time elapsed from the moment the Shermans took up positions before the appearance of the head fascist tank seemed to us an eternity ... Finally, at the turn of the highway, we saw the head of an enemy column. Tanks walked at reduced distances. Very well! When they suddenly stop, which is inevitable, when they fall under our fire, the enemy’s marching order is “compressed”, and then the commanders of the “emcha” guns will not miss. I have been given the strictest order not to open fire until the cannon shot of my tank sounds and all the tanks are silent. I patiently wait for the moment when the entire column will be in our field of vision. The gun commander of my tank guard Senior Sergeant Anatoly Romashkin continuously keeps the enemy’s head vehicle in sight. German tail tanks are constantly “watching” the trunks of the “Sherman” cannons of the Tuzhikov platoon. All enemy tanks are distributed and taken to the front sight. “A little more, another second,” I restrain myself. And now all the enemy tanks are in full view. I command: “Fire!” The air burst seventeen shots that sounded like one. The head car immediately caught fire. Measurement in place and the tank at the tail of a stopped column. Hit by an unexpected massive fire, the Nazis swept around. Some tanks began to unfold right on the road to substitute thicker frontal armor for our shots. Those who managed to do this returned fire with which one “Sherman” was shot down. Sergeant Petrosyan, commander of the cannon of the guard, and senior sergeant Ruzov, driver’s mechanic, were still alive. Together, they continued to fire from a place, not allowing the enemy to enter the flank of the battalion. The German resistance was short-lived, and after about fifteen minutes it was all over. The highway was blazing with bright bonfires. Enemy tanks, cars, fueling tanks were burning. The sky was obscured by smoke. As a result of the battle, twenty-one tanks and twelve enemy armored personnel carriers were destroyed.

The Shermans began to leave their shelters in order to continue their movement towards Veszprem. Suddenly, a sharp cannon shot rang out from the forest, and the company of the senior guard Lieutenant Ionov pushed the left-flank car sideways, and, having tilted to the starboard side, it stopped. Four crew members were seriously injured. Chunky sturdy guard driver driver Sergeant Ivan Lobanov rushed to help his comrades. He bandaged them and pulled them through the emergency hatch and put them under the tank. For a split second, his gaze lingered on the edge of the grove. On it, breaking a young shrub, slowly crawled to the Artsturm road. Lobanov quickly returned to the tank, loaded the gun with an armor-piercing projectile and, landing on the spot of the gunner, caught the enemy self-propelled gun at the crosshair of the sight. The shell pierced the side of the armored car, and its engine compartment was engulfed in flames. One by one, 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 Emch building, shot German tankmen. It should be noted that in moments of respite and during the reorganization, the tankers of the battalion always practiced the interchangeability of crew members. In this situation, the driver-mechanic needed tank handling skills, which were subsequently rewarded with the command of the battalion.

After about half an hour, the battalion's units approached Veszprem. What we saw on the near approaches to the city was surprising. On both sides of the highway, eight “panthers” stood on carefully equipped positions who did not respond to our fire and were shot from a short distance. Captured stories soon captured that the German soldiers and officers were so shocked and overwhelmed by the shooting of the tank column that when our units, raising clouds of dust, came at full speed to the well-equipped defensive line, the Panther crews abandoned their vehicles and along with the infantry in a panic fled. "

For the skillful management of the battalion and the personal courage of the guard, Senior Lieutenant Dmitry Fedorovich Lohse was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

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

Regarding the latter, one can sometimes hear undeserved criticism. Especially often, the Sherman 76 mm cannon is opposed to the 85 mm T-34–85 cannon, reducing everything to a comparison of calibres. However, if the caliber is larger, then this does not mean that the gun is better. In any case, the Soviet 85-mm gun due to the larger caliber was superior to the American only in the high-explosive shells. Otherwise, she had no advantages, as can be seen in the following example.

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

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

Here, as they say, neither add nor decrease ...

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 Guards Mechanized Corps in Manchuria. Transbaikal Front, August 1945.

Subsequently, the M4A2 (76) W tanks of the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps participated in the capture of Budapest, in repelling the 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, their equipment in the former area of \u200b\u200bdeployment, the corps was transferred to the Far East. Upon arrival in the Borzya and Choibalsan districts, corps brigades received 183 brand new “Sherman” just arrived from the USA. 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 overcame Big Khingan and reached the Central Manchurian Plain. The swift action of the 6th Guards Tank Army had a decisive influence on the course of the entire operation in Manchuria. The brigades of the 9th mechanized corps participated 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 flags. On September 20, 1945, by the 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 Mech Brigades were given the honorary name of Khingansky, 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 and some time after the end of World War II. So, for example, in the already mentioned 46th Guards Mechanized Brigade “Shermans” were exploited until the summer of 1946. Then an order came in to prepare the equipment for the transfer to the Americans. However, it was soon canceled: some of the tanks were decommissioned, some of the vehicles were converted into tractors. In different parts, apparently, they reworked in different ways. In the 46th brigade, they simply removed the towers, and then the machines were used in the Krasnoyarsk Territory for logging. There was another version of the alteration: the hole formed in the roof of the hull was welded with a steel sheet on which the commander’s turret from the Sherman was mounted. The tractors were equipped with a traction winch and a jib crane. Most of the machines redone 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. Separate cars could be found in Ukraine in the 1980s, and the Sherman tractor was operated in the recovery train of the Morozovskaya railway station in the North Caucasus until 1996!

Despite the fact that in the 1920s and 1930s the Americans carried out rather intensive work in the field of tank building, the famous Christie constantly presented more and more new ideas, they gave little importance to tanks there. So, by the beginning of World War II, the US Army had no more than 400 vehicles of this type, and only 18 of them belonged to the medium category.

But after the German invasion of Poland and France and the ensuing events, the attitude towards armored vehicles changed dramatically. Already in 1941, the 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 sponson, only the 37-mm cannon was actually used, which at least could be turned. In addition, a height of more than three meters made "General Lee" great gift   German gunners.

Realizing this, the Americans in the autumn of the same year began intensive work in the field of creating a new, more maneuverable and adapted machine for modern combat. So the tank "Sherman" appeared. Perhaps it was the best American armored vehicles of that period.

A new approach to building the hull

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

The thickness of the side and aft sheets was 38 millimeters, on the roof - only 18 millimeters. Bolting the bow of the body to the power elements. Note that the frontal part was assembled immediately from seven rolled billets, so the manufacturers faced the difficult task of ensuring the highest quality of welds. We can say that they coped with the task perfectly.

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

It should be noted that the Sherman tank of the 1943-1944 period is distinguished by an additional armor plate 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 set). One pad was welded onto the port side.

However, it didn’t help much against the Tigers: the history of the Sherman tank knows many cases when their shells hit the car right through. But this could be said about any tank of the Allies, with the exception of the IS-2 and Pershing, which appeared at the very end of the war.

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

Tower

The tower in the Sherman tank is cast, cylindrical. Mounted on a hinged support. Its front and side were protected by armor thickness of 75 and 50 millimeters. The turret feed was 50 millimeters thick, and the roof was 25 millimeters thick. The gun’s mask was best protected, since the thickness of the armor in this place was 90 millimeters.

As you can see, the Sherman tank (the drawings of which are in the article) did not differ much in terms of protection against the legendary domestic T-34. Despite the claims of American designers about the invulnerability of the gun’s mask, over the course of the war there were repeatedly cases when enemy shells pierced the mask right through. This, as a rule, was the cause of the death of the loader.

This was especially pronounced in Normandy: the Panthers and Tigers easily hit the Sherman tank. The fury of General Eisenhower was beyond description. Presumably, it was he who made scientists and engineers hurry up with the development of a normal tank with a good gun, which could fight on equal terms with German counterparts.

In principle, the general did not achieve much success: "Pershing" appeared only at the end of the war, and he treated the heavy tanks rather conditionally.

Armament

The American tank "Sherman" was armed as standard:

• The main gun is the M3 gun. Caliber 75 mm, subsequently introduced a long-barrel modification of 76 mm.
• Large-caliber machine gun "Browning" M2NV, located directly above the hatch of the tank.

Do you play World of Tank? “Sherman” in this game, according to the balance of weapons, approximately corresponds to the T-34, which reflects the real situation. So, the armor-piercing shells of the “American” were much better than the domestic ones, but they pierced the smaller thickness of the armor. On the other hand, domestic products were better on ballistics, only 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 was well-known among Russian tankers. And the point here is not only the convenience of internal equipment. So, the Americans did not have problems with nickel and other armor additives. As a result, their armor turned out to be viscous: even in the case of breaking through the hull, if the shell did not kill someone from the crew or did not disable the engine, the tank continued to carry out the combat mission.

In domestic cars, the armor was solid. If a shell pierced it (even in an area free of engine or crew), inside the car a whole storm of small fragments of scale was raging. Many tankers were killed or crippled precisely for this reason.

Crew working conditions

By the way, how did the crew of the Sherman tank feel at all? It is pretty 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 an excellent view. In addition, in addition to the main engine, a small gasoline engine was mounted in the tank for the charging station generator. How was this valuable?

The fact is that the tank always needed a charged battery. To charge it on the T-34 in the parking conditions, had to waste the main engine in vain. As a result, a huge overconsumption of fuel and the exhaustion of the meager motor resources. Finally, inside the Sherman tank it was much more spacious, and the quality of the finish was higher.

"Lifebuoy"

In the back of the Sherman’s building there was a niche where a standard radio station was installed. The access hatch was located on the roof of the tower and was closed with a double-leaf lid. An anti-aircraft machine gun turret was mounted there. In this, the Sherman tank was different from Soviet vehicles, on which they began to put a machine gun in series only after the appearance of the IS-2. Since 1943, the towers began to be equipped with an oval hatch designed for landing and landing loader.

The fact is that the loader himself, the radio operator and even the mechanic could not get out of one hatch. Why did the driver get out through it? It's simple: often the gun was 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 the gas contamination of the tower. The fact is that the fans, borrowed from the BT, “dangled” somewhere in the front of the tower, while the breech of the gun jutted out strongly. The power of the installation was so-so, but because most of the powder exhaust remained right there.

The Americans with their M-3 had approximately the same problem. But it was decided exactly at Sherman, by installing three fans at once, protected by armored caps.

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

Note that during the Second World War, the following modifications of the Sherman tank existed:

• 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 is distinguished by the General Motors 6046 diesel engine (it was loved by Soviet tankers), the body is welded.
• M4A3, ("Sherman 3"). The tank was equipped with a Ford GAA carburetor type powerplant. The case is standard, made by welding.
• Tank "General Sherman" M4A4. Diesel RD-1820 again. It was also made by welding.
• M4A6. Similar to the previous variety in everything. Represents a late, post-war modification. It is distinguished by greater manufacturability and workmanship, the best radio station was installed on the car.

In addition, there was a “theoretical” model of the Sherman M4A5 tank. This name was reserved in the event that a company manufacturing American cars was opened in Canada. These plans were not destined to be realized, but the name was never used. More precisely, the Canadian version (Grizzly 1) was really produced from September 1942 to autumn 1943, but then the release was curtailed, as American supplies more than covered the country's needs.

Model Differences

Despite this diversity, outwardly these models practically did not differ from each other (except that the tower shape was excellent). The exception is the M4A1, which stood out sharply against the others with its molded case. The placement of the units, the gun and the chassis on all Shermans were exactly the same. It should be noted that American cars were significantly different from their Soviet and German counterparts in that they regularly went overhead sets of armor.

Tanks of the first series had viewing slots in the frontal sheet. Only then they were completely covered with casings and periscopes were placed. Subsequently, the slope of the frontal armor also changed significantly: it was 47 °, and became 56 °. It is for this reason that the machine in the World of Tanks game has average performance. "Sherman" there is largely consistent with the T-34. However, this is indeed so (judging by the recall of veterans).

Engine

In general, the M4 Sherman tank is a unique phenomenon in some way, since no one had so many motors that were installed on it. What caused this? Everything is simple. Until the Second World War, it seemed to Americans that they did not need medium and heavy tanks in principle. The emphasis was on the development of aviation and the navy, and in this area they coped well.

When medium tanks were needed, the question arose of which engines to use for them? Aircraft, of course, since there were plenty of aircraft building 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 high, because otherwise the motor would simply not fit in there.

In addition, a “civilian” transmission was used, originally adapted for mass 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, the characteristics of which are fully consistent with the spirit of the times. In particular, the Germans also massively used parts from trucks in the development of the Pz.II, one of the most massive vehicles of that era.

Why was this number of power plants used? Everything is simple too. During the war, the Americans not only needed airplanes themselves, but also supplied them to their allies. Accordingly, those enterprises that manufactured engines for them worked to the limit. Often, tanks simply did not have the engines planned for the design, which is why they had to look for analogues. However, first things first.

Power plant specifications

On the first modifications, that is, on the M4 and M4A1, the Continental R975 C1 star-shaped aircraft engine was installed. He developed 350 horsepower, the speed was 3500 rpm. For comparison, the B-2 of the legendary T-34 developed an operational power of 400 horsepower, producing 1700 rpm.

Detailed history of the Wright engine (Continental)

Initially, this engine was used for light airplanes. To make the engine of the Sherman tank out of it, the engineers needed a lot of work. For example, it was necessary to “fasten” the gearbox, which the aircraft, for obvious reasons, was not needed. In addition, it was necessary to sharply increase the torque at low speeds, and also to create a normal air purification system (dust clouds are rarely found in the sky), simultaneously reducing the amount of oil consumed by the engine.

After a year of work, bench tests were carried out on which the engine showed quite acceptable results. In 1940, M2, the common ancestor of the Lee and Sherman with the Wright engine, was tested at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. In addition, the test involved British cars, which next to the American tank seemed "sluggish". The military were satisfied; they liked the model, which would later be called the Sherman tank. The reviews were very good, it was recommended to take the car 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 rejoiced early: with the slightest increase in the mass of the tested vehicle, a lack of power began to be felt, and the cooling system could not cope with the increased load. In addition, due to an increase in temperature in the carburetor itself, the density of the air entering there sharply decreased, which caused a dangerous drop in power. In such conditions, the engine of the Sherman tank could only work for 100 hours, after which it required a complete overhaul.

Reorientation of production

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

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

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

By 1944-1945 and 1946 (war against Japan), the B-2 engine was somewhat brought to mind, due to which the difference became not so noticeable. So, the Sherman tanks in the Red Army, together with Soviet equipment, reached Manchuria under their own power. There were no particular complaints about Soviet or American cars.

Tanks with which engines were delivered to our country?

Officially, it is believed that in the USSR only this model was supplied by Lendlis. But some Soviet tank crews who described the Sherman M4 tank said that "it flashed like a match." Often there are also references to gasoline engines. All this suggests that the M4 or M4A1 were also supplied to the Soviet Union.

In addition, it can be assumed that a certain amount of Sherman gasoline arrived in our country from England, where the United States supplied both diesel and gasoline modifications (the British troops were equally provided with gasoline and diesel fuel). The Americans themselves used mainly gasoline modifications. The only exception was marineshaving an unlimited supply of ship diesel fuel.

Actually, that is why the diesel Sherman was so popular in our country. A tank in the USSR (as in the USA) until about the 30s was considered an auxiliary unit, a consumable. When it took something more serious, it turned out that gasoline was simply not enough for tank hordes. I had to use diesel fuel, which in those years was considered a waste of oil refining.

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

Where are these cars now?

And where can you see the Sherman tank today? "Fury" (the historical facts in this film are more or less close to reality) shows these machines in the cinema. Paraguay’s troops (as of 2013) still have four such tanks. Many half-sunken and half-destroyed vehicles are found on the coast of the Philippines, where the Shermans were massively used to break through the Japanese defense. "Advertises" the tank "Sherman" game World of Tanks, where it is quite popular.

In this series, I will talk about the main serial modifications, operating features and the history of the development and application of this overseas unit. (in total I plan 3-4 parts. In the first part about the main modifications made in the USA)

  M4 Sherman» - main US medium tank the period of the Second World War, well, or almost the main tank in general, for modifications for different tasks, they saw a thuja heap and I decided to dig this whole bunch in the name of Satan of mankind.

History of creation (briefly, not seriously, very briefly):

The United States approached the beginning of World War II, without having in production and arming a single adequate model of medium or heavy tank, there was only a handful of “medium” “M2” tanks. The emergencyly developed M3 “Lee” tank was considered obsolete by design already at the development stage, because there were already requirements for a tank that would replace it ... It was decided (not unreasonably) that it would be a good idea to use the components and assemblies of the “Li” tank- therefore, the development began   February 1, 941, a prototype appeared on September 2 of the same year.

The tank inherited the chassis, the lower part of the hull and the predecessor’s gun, but they abandoned the stubborn design with a gun in the fuselage of the hull and stuffed it into the tower. True dimensions remained approximately the same. Tank received the designation   M4, and in February 1942 its mass production was started.   M4 it turned out to be simpler, more technologically advanced and cheaper to manufacture than the M3.
  On this, the story of creation can be finished and started to be disassembled quietly, what were they, “Shermans”?

T6 Sherman Prototype

Modifications:

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

To begin with, it should be said that the property of the M4 production 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 plants and have differences in design (which will be discussed below). Upgrades, such as changing the combat unit, equipping a new turret and cannon, changing the type of suspension, all types were altogether at the same time, receiving the army designations W, (76) and HVSS. The factory designations are different, and include the letter E and a numerical index. For example, M4A3 (76) W HVSS had the factory designation M4A3E8.

The number in brackets indicated the gun mounted on the tank, if there is no numerical designation, then a standard 75 mm gun was installed, and for example, in the marking M4A1 (105) it is clear that this is a Sherman with a molded body and 105 mm howitzer.

M4 (as well as M4A1, the difference of which is only in the presence of a molded case)

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

Welded hull of the M4 tank

Perhaps the most interesting version from the factory in Detroit: М4 Сomposite Hull (cast frontal sheet with other welded parts)

In fact, the tank almost completely corresponded to the prototype T6 Prototype (in the molded case) Only the gun was different (the prototype was the M2 gun) and the absence of two stationary and fucking machine guns that no one needed. E the main weapon was the American tank gun   75 mm M3 with a length of 37.5 calibres.   The cannon made it possible to fight most of the enemy’s tanks at the time of adoption, although the tank as a whole was considered as an infantry support vehicle because the high-explosive projectile action was more important.

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

During the war, SUDDENLY, it turned out that the Germans had both new models of tanks and improved old ones, because in 1944 they began to install tanks 76 mm M1 gun with a long barrel of 55 calibers. True, to install the guns it was necessary to pump up a new tower (from the experimental T23 tank), but this is in every way easier and cheaper than sawing a new tank. (As far as I understand, the stabilizer on this gun remained, 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, surpassing the Panzer of 4 late versions.

M4A1 with 76mm gun

The engine on the tank was a 350-horsepower, star-shaped, gasoline. On the whole, it met the mobility requirements, although it slightly increased the fire hazard of the machine.
  The reservation was 51/38 / 38mm, the frontal sheet is installed at an angle of 56 degrees.

  M4a2


M4A2 (76) W. Let out of all the released M4A2 there was only 1 \\ 3 of them - but piccha here for a change. (By the way, here you can see the muzzle brake on a 76mm cannon. And also in the background you can see either the SU-85M or the SU-100. From here we can understand that these are Soviet Lend-Lease cars)

In fact, the modification A2 differed only in a pair of diesel engines with total power 375 pony horses (by the way, the tank could move with one engine, more on that 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 molded hull was more time-consuming and had no advantages over the welded one. Reservation identical to M4

M4A3 (and its modifications)

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

M4A3

Again, this is essentially the same M4 with a welded body, but the highlight of the tank is the 500-strong, 8-cylinder V-shaped gasoline engine of Ford, which significantly increased mobility at approximately the same weight. Armament, as in previous versions, ranged from 75-76mm to 105mm guns. Reservation is identical to M4.

Separately, it is worth noting the modification M4A3E2 "Sherman Jumbo" and M4A3E8 "Easy Eight".

M4A3E2 "Sherman Jumbo"   it differed from the “simple” “Sherman” with enhanced frontal armor in a 100mm frontal plate and a thick cast turret, as well as increased side armor to 76mm, but due to the fact that the modification was conceived as an assault gun, the choice fell on the 75mm and 105mm guns and 76mm guns were abandoned due to the weak high-explosive impact of the projectile (no matter how strange it was, but the 75mm high-explosive projectile was more powerful than 76mm). Later, at the request of the military, a certain number of 76mm cannons were delivered to fight tanks and on the tank, with a practically no material modifications, a long-barreled gun was installed. For the increase in armor, Jimbo paid a significant reduction in mobility. Max speed along the intersection was only 22km \\ h. On the highway, the speed remained almost the same. The specific pressure on the soil also increased, which reduced its cross-country ability.


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

M4A3E8 "Easy Eight" -   It differed from the M4A3 in the presence of 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   mortarizers . The pendant got wider, 58 cm, tracks. Tanks with such a suspension (called Horisontal Volute Spring Suspension, “horizontal”) were abbreviated   Hvss in the designation. The "horizontal" suspension differs from the "vertical" lower specific pressure on the ground, and gives the modernized tanks a slightly greater patency. In addition, this suspension is more reliable and less demanding on maintenance. Due to a slightly lower pressure on the ground, they got the nickname "Easy Eight"

M4A4

M4A4 (76) W

It is distinguished by the simplicity of its propulsion system consisting of 5 gasoline engines with a total capacity of 470 horses. The hull had to be lengthened so that this miracle would fit in, which slightly affected the increase in tank mass. Also (as 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.
  Mostly the car was used in the English army under the index   Sherman v   and went to remake under Sherman Firefly (about which in another psto)

M4A6

M4a6
  It features a multi-fuel engine installation. Similar in design to M4A4. Only 75 pieces were released, because there is no particular information about it. M4A6 did not take part in the battles and were used to train crews in the 777th tank battalion in Fort Knox

On this with the main modifications I will end. About engineering machines and machines of foreign manufacture - in the next post

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

M4 "Sherman" - is an American medium tank of the fifth level, which is loved by many tankers and is considered best car   at its level. Is it so? We will find out about this a bit later, but now we’ll try to understand in more detail in this tank.

Short description

The M4 Sherman is America’s medium tank, which was exploited in World War II. Initially, the title had only the M4 index - the modification number in order. When the tank went to serve in Britain, a nameplate was added to the name - “Sherman”, in honor of William Sherman, who was a general in the army of the northerners during the Civil War. Also in due time the tank was called "Emcha".

Story

The history of the creation of the tank begins in 1941. When the Second World War began in Europe, the United States had only the so-called prototype medium tanks in stock. At that time, in addition to the M3 Li and M2A4 Medium, a stronger tank with a radically different design was required. At the same time, the Americans wanted him to remain as cheap as his previous brothers. From February 1, 1941, accelerated development of the tank began, and six months later the M4 Sherman was introduced at the training ground. Photos of the tank immediately began to appear in print and since then have gained enormous historical value.

Then I did not have to choose, in addition, the car turned out to be quite high quality and relatively cheap. Therefore, Sherman instantly passed standardization and was launched into serial production. By 1945, almost 50 thousand vehicles of this model were created, and the tank became the most massive in America.

Design

Now let's talk about the appearance of the M4 Sherman. A historical review shows that its features are visible in German cars. This is not surprising, because initially the very idea of \u200b\u200blayout was borrowed from the Germans. The engine compartment here was located in the stern of the hull, but the transmission was moved forward. In the center is a combat zone, which reached right up to the tower.

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

Sherman’s combat crew - 5 people: the commander always took a seat near the tower and watched the terrain, the loader and gunner were sitting on the sides of the commander, the driver himself, and with him the radio gunner, were in the front of the hull.

The historical characteristics of the tank

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

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

For Sherman, several types of motors were initially used. In one of the modifications there was an aircraft engine that developed 350 horsepower. There was a version of the tank with twin engines from the Ford, while the car could accelerate thanks to 500 horsepower.

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

For the guns, they also began to use a 75-mm cannon from the Medium and Li tanks. But, of course, after several months of development, they put more modern weapons. Also, the tank was repeatedly re-equipped to deal with heavier rivals, anti-tank guns were installed on it.

To battle

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

But the first combat use of the M4 Sherman by the Americans occurred in December of that year in Tunisia. But with the Americans, their inexperience and inability to use this miracle machine played a cruel joke. As a result, the troops were mercilessly defeated. Within a couple of months, the Shermans met again with German tanks in the same area. And again there were problems in the battles, which gave an idea of \u200b\u200bthe imperfection of the layout and weakness of military weapons.

By the way, in 1942 the tank was delivered to the Red Army. Here, the M4 was waiting for success in almost all battles. The tanks were good, confidently helped end the war and reached Berlin together with the troops of our country. After the war, Soviet tankers spoke very positively of the Sherman, the only thing that was noted was a frequent percentage of fires and a weak gun.

The last breath for this machine was the battle in the Far East as early as 1945. The first use of the M4 "Sherman" brought this machine popularity, and in addition to the British, American and Soviet troops, the tank was used during the Korean war in the early 50's. the Chinese, and a little later - the Arabs.

Game version

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

It should be noted that in the katabatic state the tank looks rather bad. He is slow, slow and weak. But all gamers of the famous World of Tanks know that any tank in the initial state is bad. Now let's talk a little about the main technical specifications   cars.

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

Pros and Cons of the "American"

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

The disadvantage of Sherman is its rather large size. Although it all depends on what levels he will fall into battle with. Nevertheless, his silhouette is quite large, so getting into it is easy. In addition, remember that booking with him is not one of the strongest.

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

Game gun

Well, it's worth talking directly about the armament of the "American." In this section, you may also find the answer to the question of which gun to put on the Sherman M4. There are two weapon options in the game. The first and most suitable is the sixth-level gun at 76 mm. Its advantage is the rate of fire. In 60 seconds, she fires as many as 14.3 shots. At the same time, the armor penetration is 177 mm, but their damage is 110.

If you choose this weapon, keep in mind that a heavy support burden will fall on your shoulders. With such damage and penetration, you should not fly forward and try to enlighten someone. It is best to hide somewhere in the bushes and wait for the light of the rivals.

But the second gun is a high-explosive one, it has 105 mm. Few people believe it, but sometimes this cannon can destroy one sweeping firefly with one shot. It produces 7.5 shots per minute, but armor penetration is 53 with 410 damage.

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

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

But when you thoroughly pumped the tank, or rather, the crew, another question will arise: "What skills do you need for the M4 Sherman crew?" First of all, you can pump a light bulb and repair. Further, you can take perks for review, again to improve our search abilities. Then we reduce the spread of the guns and pump perks for stabilization. Well, after that you can take care of the dynamics, and the loader to install a disguise.

How to play?

Having finished the review of the M4 Sherman tank, we can proceed to the gameplay itself. There are no important and difficult points here. The main thing is what was said in the section on the gun. Depending on the choice of guns on the battlefield, you will become either an assistant or a destroyer. In the first case, behind the heavy tanks you drive and behind the brave allies give out damage. In the second case, you should be more careful, but get closer to the victim so that the accuracy of the gun does not fail at the most crucial moment.

The Israeli Museum of Armored Forces has an interesting monument. On the pedestal of stones are three tanks - the British “Cromwell” and the American “Sherman”. The symbolism is clear: these are the machines that won the Second World War. And the share of “Sherman” tests fell no less than the “thirty-four”.

From 1942 until the end of the war, the M4 formed the basis of the American tank forces, having fought with the Japanese militarists in Asia and with the Nazis in Europe. As part of the British troops, the Shermans fought in Africa and landed in Italy. Soviet M4 liberated Ukraine and reached Berlin. And for many more years the tank, developed back in the early forties, was actively used and won in battles with more modern vehicles.

History of the creation of the tank

The beginning of World War II was met by the United States, having just begun the production of the M2 medium tank. An analysis of the battles in Poland showed that the tank does not meet the real conditions of the war, after which the order was reduced, and the tanks released were reclassified into training tanks.

To replace the M2 in an emergency (even prototypes were not made), the M3 tank was developed (later named “Lee” and “Grant”). It was considered a temporary measure, and the creation of a new modern tank began immediately after the completion of work on the “Lee”.

To reduce the time for development and introduction into production, the tank was maximally unified with the M3.

Specifically, the engine, the lower part of the molded body and the suspension were borrowed with minimal changes.

In September 1941, a prototype with a molded case was built, which received the T6 index. From the subsequent production vehicles, it was distinguished by the presence of two additional machine guns in the forehead of the hull, as well as the presence of a hatch for the crew on board the hull.

Mass production of M4 tanks began in the winter of 1942. The first tanks were assembled at the Lima steam locomotive plant and belonged to the M4A1 series. And these first tanks were produced for Britain.

Design

“Sherman” has the following layout: transmission in front of the hull, engine - in the stern. The fighting compartment and the tower are located between them, almost in the center. The height of the transmission box and the need to place a star-shaped engine in the body determined the size of the tank - it turned out to be high.

All modifications of “Sherman”, except for M4A1, had a welded body made of rolled armor.

On the M4A1, the case was cast. Common to all versions was the lower frontal part of the case, which at the same time served as the transmission cover. The upper armor plate had a thickness of 51 mm and was installed at an angle of 56 degrees (later - 47 degrees). The sides are vertical, 38 mm thick, the stern armor has the same thickness.

The thickness of the forehead of the cast tower is 76 mm (with a slope of 60 degrees), the sides and stern are 51 mm. The early towers had one hatch - for the commander and gunner, later a loader hatch was added. The tower had an electro-hydraulic or electric drive of the rotation mechanism.

In case of failure of the mechanism, the possibility of turning manually was provided.

The tower of the “long-barrel” “Sherman” was distinguished by the thickness of armor - 64mm in a circle.

Armament

The Sherman’s original weapon was a 75mm M3 gun. This gun was a development of the French field gun model of 1897, adopted by the United States. In the M2 variant, the gun was mounted on the early M3 tanks, and the later “Li” and “Shermans” already received the M3 with a barrel length increased to 40 calibers.

The penetration of the gun when using a solid M72 shell reached 110 mm, the M61 chamber shell pierced armor a little worse - up to 90 mm. In the initial period of the war, however, this was enough to fight any enemy tanks.

The M1 three-inch gun was developed in 1942, when the characteristics of the short-barreled M3 became insufficient, and the more powerful M7 gun for the Sherman turned out to be too heavy.

“Long-barrel” “Shermans” went into battle in 1944. The penetration of the armor-piercing chamber projectile M62 exceeded 120 mm, which was already not enough to deal with the most heavily armored German vehicles. But the M93 projectile at small distances pierced over 200 mm.

Interestingly, the production of “Sherman” with the M3 gun did not stop - the previous gun had a more powerful high-explosive fragmentation shell, which was critically important for the American tank doctrine. Within its framework, the main task of the tanks was to support the infantry, with which the “long-barreled” “Sherman” coped weaker.

Over two thousand Shermans of the M4A1 and M4A4 modifications delivered to Great Britain were re-equipped with a “17-pound” 76.2 mm cannon. These machines are called Firefly. A continuous armor-piercing shell fired from the “seventeen pounds” pierced armor up to 157 millimeters thick, which made the “Firefly” capable of fighting any German tanks.

The machine gun was removed from the “Fireflies” to increase the ammunition load of the guns. This entailed the reduction of the crew to four people. The gun stabilizer was dismantled.

Some Shermans of the M4 and M4A3 series armed with a 105mm M4 howitzer. They were to become "assault guns" for the direct support of the infantry. For anti-tank purposes, howitzer “Shermans” were not supposed to be used, but, nevertheless, the M67 cumulative shell penetrating up to 130 mm of armor was included in the ammunition.

They had such machines and some design differences - the gun did not have a stabilizer, the frontal armor was strengthened.

Additional armament, according to the standards of that time, consisted of a machine gun mounted in a ball mask in the front sheet and a machine gun coaxial with a cannon.

In both cases, the model M1919A4 was used. Caliber - 7.62mm (.30-06). Fire from the machine gun was conducted by the radio operator gunner, from the coaxial gunner the gunner, using the electric trigger.

Above the command hatch in the turret was an M2HB machine gun of 12.7mm caliber, suitable for anti-aircraft fire. The equipment of the tank with a large-caliber anti-aircraft machine gun at that time was an innovation, and only by the end of the war it began to be used everywhere.

Since 1943, a mortar was installed on all “Shermans” for setting smoke screens.

Placement of crew and equipment of the tank

A crew of five was located in the tank as follows: the place of the driver and his assistant (aka radio gunner) on both sides of the box with the transmission. Each had a hatch with a periscope of observation, located in the ledge of the frontal part or in the roof in front of the tower. The gunner and the tank commander are sitting one after another in the right half of the tower, and the loader takes the left.

On the linear “Sherman” installed VHF radio station located in the rear niche of the tower. Its antenna was displayed on the roof of the tower. Commander tanks additionally had a short-wave radio station in the right supra-track, with an antenna output through the frontal armor plate.

The tank intercom was part of the standard radio station, an additional telephone could be installed to communicate with the tank of the accompanying infantry.
  For heavy driving weather conditions   the tank was equipped with a gyrocompass.

The tank with a 75mm gun was equipped with a three-time telescopic sight M55 and a backup sight M38A1, built into the gunner’s periscope.

Howitzer tanks had the M77C model instead of the M38A1 sight. Long-barreled M4s were equipped with M51 and M47A2 sights.

Later they were replaced by the universal periscope M10, in which two telescopic sights were built in - six-fold and without magnification. This device replaced the old variety of sights. For firing from closed positions, the gun pointing angle indicator was used. The M3 and M1 guns had a gyroscopic stabilizer.

Engine and transmission

Different versions of the “Sherman” had different engines. An aircraft star engine R975 was installed on the M4 and M4A1. M4A2 received a power plant from two interlocked two-stroke diesel engines GM 6-71. The M4A3 was equipped with a Ford GAA gasoline eight-cylinder engine (designed as an aircraft, but found to be used only in armored vehicles).

A design of five automobile six-cylinder engines manufactured by Chrysler was mounted in the elongated hull of the M4A4 tank. Finally, the limited-edition M4A6 had a Caterpillar star-shaped diesel engine. The power of the engines ranged from 350 to 500 hp.

In contrast to the variety of engines, there was only one gearbox for the Sherman - a five-speed manual, with synchronizers.

The transmission was located in the frontal part of the hull, and its outer casing of armored steel simultaneously served as the lower frontal part.

This arrangement of the transmission provided a better distribution of weight, increased its maintainability, and when hit, its components could protect against damage to crew members. The disadvantage was the increased vulnerability of the transmission itself, which could be disabled by secondary fragments of armor even without breaking through it.

Chassis

The suspension of the tank is generally similar to that used on the M3 tanks, with three two-wheeled carts. Each of the trolleys has two vertical springs. During the combat use, the drawbacks of such a suspension were revealed - on a soft surface, the tank's patency decreased, the service life of the units was low.

As a result, by the end of the war, a suspension with horizontal springs and double rubberized rollers went into production.

The early suspension was designated as VVSS, the late - HVSS.

Special tanks, self-propelled guns and ARVs

On the basis of the A3 series tank, the M4A3E2 Jumbo assault tank was created. Additional armor plates 38 mm thick were welded to the front plate and the top of the side, the transmission cover was strengthened. “Jumbo” was not intended for tank battles, he carried an M3 cannon, but subsequently some tanks rearmed the long-barreled M1 and used it as heavy tank destroyers.

On the roof of the turret of some tanks was installed MLRS "Calliope" - 60 guides for launching M8 114mm caliber missiles. There were several options for the flamethrower Sherman.

“Shermans” equipped with mine trawls and bulldozer knives were used in engineering units. Amphibious modification DD was used when crossing rivers.
  On the basis of “Sherman” “tank destroyers” were built - highly mobile lightly armored vehicles with an open turret. These include the M10 with a 76mm gun and the M36 with a 90mm gun.

The M7 self-propelled guns was equipped with a 105mm howitzer in an open wheelhouse, and guns with caliber up to 203mm were mounted on a special chassis with an open platform.

For repair and evacuation work, M32 machines and its upgraded version of M74 were created. They were equipped with a crane, winches and a bulldozer knife. M32 without evacuation equipment served as an artillery tractor.

Post-war options

After the war, countries that could not afford the latest tanks tried to increase the effectiveness of the “Sherman” with modernizations.

In Israel, the Shermans underwent their first rearmament in 1956. They were assigned the M50 index. Three hundred of these tanks received a French 75mm gun. At the next modernization, in 1962, the Israeli M4A1 was equipped with Cummins VT8-460 diesels, replaced the gun with a 105mm gun, and was named M51. In the 1970s, some cars were transferred to Chile, where they served until the 90s.

Egyptian “Shermans” were M4A4, with a diesel engine from M4A2. Instead of the “native” tower, the AMX-13 swinging from a light tank was installed. Included with the tower were a 75mm gun and automatic loader.

Lend-Lease Supplies and Combat Applications

17181 tanks from the issued "Sherman" received British troops. “Shermans” were refined to meet British standards and received new designations. The changes included, for example, the replacement of walkie-talkies with British radios, the installation of a smoke mortar, and additional fire extinguishing systems.

For the first time the British “Sherman” went into battle in Africa, in the middle of 1942.

As part of the British forces, they took part in the battle of El Alamein, and, according to the British, made a significant contribution to the victory. At the end of the same year, American Shermans appeared in Tunisia. The African campaign proved the high combat qualities of the M4, but after the appearance of the German Tiger tanks in Tunisia, the lack of armedness of the tank became apparent.

Since 1943, diesel M4A2, amounting to 4065 units, have been supplied to the USSR.

Tanks in the Red Army appreciated - the crews praised the ease of use, the quality of equipment and communications. The less noisy Sherman made them perfect for stealth attacks. At the same time, insufficient patency in winter conditions and a tendency to coups due to a high center of gravity were noted.

In the Soviet Union, the first “Shermans” took part in the Battle of Kursk. True, then these tanks were few. But since 1944, the number of incoming “Sherman” allowed to create even separate buildings from them. The Soviet M4A2 took part in all subsequent battles of the war, including the defeat of the Kwantung Army.

In Europe, “Shermans” appeared during the landing in Sicily. And by the time of the invasion of Normandy, modifications with enhanced weapons had already been prepared. But during the first battles, the M4 tanks failed to realize (due to specific environmental conditions) their advantage in mobility, and the tankers suffered heavy losses.

The situation changed only after the Allied forces entered the operational space. Also during the battles, the lack of fitness of the Sherman for urban battles became apparent. But by this time the tank was already assessed as becoming obsolete, and new tanks had to solve this problem.

At the Pacific Theater of War, the Shermans were rare. Enemy tanks were too small and weak in armament to be an effective force. The nature of the fighting allowed to fully reveal all the strengths of the American tank, as well as its missile and flamethrower modifications.

By the beginning of the Korean War, “Sherman” was already considered obsolete, but only “Sherman” could be quickly transferred to the front from Japan.

And later it turned out that the more powerful and modern M26 in the Korean mountains have insufficient mobility. So “Sherman” and remained the main American tank in that war. In battles with T-34-85, both tanks showed themselves to be almost equivalent opponents, and often the outcome of the battle was decided by the best training of American tankers.

During the Suez crisis, the modernized Egyptian Shermans clashed with the modernized Israeli. As a result, most of the Egyptian cars were either destroyed or captured by the Israelis.

By the 1967 war, the “Shermans” of Israel were used in secondary areas, but managed to prove themselves there, destroying, for example, an Egyptian T-54 column.
The Shermans used both sides in the Indo-Pakistani wars as second-line machines. According to some reports, in the 1990s, “Shermans” were used in Yugoslavia, but there is no exact evidence for this.

The performance characteristics

The table shows the characteristics of the “early” and “late” “Sherman” in comparison with its closest analogues.

TTX of the main modifications of the M4 tanks and their closest analogues
	M4a1	M4A3 (76) W HVSS	T-34 arr. 1942	T-34-85 arr. 1944 g	Pz.KpfW.IV Ausf.H
Dimensions
Length with gun, m	5,84	7,54	6,62	8,10	7,02
Width m	2,62	3,00	3,00	3,00	2,88
Height, m	2,74	2,97	2,52	2,72	2,68
Combat weight, t	30,3	33,6	30,9	32,0	25,7
Booking mm
Body forehead	51/56 °	64/47 °	45/60 °	45/60 °	80
Board and feed hull	38	38	45-40 / 40 °	45-40 / 40 °	30-20
Tower forehead	76	64…89	53	90	50
Board and feed towers	51	51	53	52-75	30
Armament
A gun	75 mm M3	76 mm M1	1 × 76 mm F-34	1 × 85 mm S-53	75 mm KwK.40 L / 48
Machine guns		1 × 12.7 mm M2HB, 2 × 7.62 mm M1919A4	2 × 7.62 mm DT	2 × 7.62 mm DT	2 × 7.92 mm MG-34
Ammunition, rounds / ammunition	90 / 300 + 4750	71 / 600 + 6250	77 / 2898	60 / 1890	87 / 3150
Mobility
Engine	Continental gasoline 9 cylinder radial R975 C1, 350 l. with.	8-cylinder petrol V-shaped Ford GAA, 450 l. with.		12 cyl V-shaped diesel V-2, 500 l. with.	Gasoline 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120TRM, 300 l. with.
Maximum speed on the highway, km / h	39	42	54	54	38
Cruising on the highway, km	190	160	300	300	210

It should be noted that the modification of the Pz.IV tank shown in the table is “intermediate” between early and late. But from the previous T-4s, it differed mainly in its optimized design without changing the main characteristics, and in later series the changes were reduced to simplification and cheapening. So, Sherman was clearly not inferior to the main rival, and if he could meet him in 1941, he would surpass it.

Machine rating

The armament of “Sherman” at the time of its appearance can be considered “adequate”. The 75mm M3 gun in its characteristics corresponded to the Soviet F-34 and ZiS-5 guns, allowing it to fight with any medium enemy tanks. The appearance of Pz.IV tanks with enhanced armor, as well as the Tigers and Panthers, made it ineffective.

The 76 mm M1 gun in terms of armor penetration was only slightly inferior to the Soviet 85mm D-5 gun, and when using a sub-caliber projectile it even surpassed it. Such “Sherman” could even fight heavy tanks   the enemy. The main disadvantage of the gun was the small power of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile. Due to the high initial velocity, the shell wall thickness had to be increased, while minimizing the explosive charge mass.

In general, the M4 in terms of armament corresponded to modern medium tanks, and even exceeded its effectiveness in terms of its effectiveness due to high-quality optics and the availability of a stabilizer.

Assessing the security of the “Sherman”, it should be remembered that during the years of its development, typical weapons for most tanks were 40-45mm caliber guns.

And the infantry had at their disposal only anti-tank rifles and heavy machine guns. In comparison with the T-34, “Sherman” was inferior to him in the thickness of the sides, devoid of inclination. But the sides of even the later versions of the German Pz.IV had a thickness less than that of the M4.

The frontal armor of the Sherman, according to the results of German tests, with a slight turn of the hull could withstand hits from the 88mm Tiger gun. M4A4E2 with reinforced armor to protect, of course, was superior to competitors, but there were few such tanks.

The early Shermans, with their ammunition located in the fenders, suffered from detonation of ammunition when breaking through the hull. This deficiency was corrected by placing the ammunition shell on the hull floor in drawers with a water jacket (the so-called “wet” ammunition shell).

Sherman’s tactical and strategic mobility was rated highly. Thanks to its small dimensions, the tank was easily loaded onto all types of transport, including railway. When moving under its own power, the motor resource allowed to travel long distances, rubberized tracks did not break the road, and the suspension design provided the crew with some comfort.

“Sherman” had a good speed, good maneuverability, which was somewhat limited by the inability to turn on the spot. On tanks of the E2 series, other gear ratios were used to maintain mobility with increased mass.

Reliability

The high production culture at the American plants gave the Sherman a high manufacturing quality and very good reliability. Tank units did not require frequent adjustment. The maintainability of the tank deserves the highest rating. Soviet tanks were also inferior to the Sherman in this regard.

Due to the low production culture and technological equipment, the tolerances were such that the nodes had to be manually adjusted.

The flip side was the demanding tanks to the level of qualification of staff.

Tank analogs

The Soviet counterpart, the T-34, was slightly superior to the Sherman in terms of the effectiveness of on-board armor, was approximately similar in armament, and significantly lost in the crew’s working comfort.

The later T-34-85 had a powerful high-explosive fragmentation projectile (the absence of which forced the production of “short-barreled Shermans” to be kept), and its efficiency, due to the separation of duties between the gunner and the commander, improved. It is worth noting that in the “fire-hazardous” “Sherman” fuel tanks were located in the engine compartment, and in the T-34 - in the fighting compartment.

The main German analogue of the M4 was Pz.IV.

His early models lost to the “Sherman” in all respects, but by the middle of the war they were approximately equal in armament and armor protection. At the same time, the later “Panthers” (Pz.V (T-5)) were distinguished by poor build quality.

Although the “Panther” was superior to the “Sherman” and the power of weapons (with an equal caliber guns) and the thickness of the armor. Its main drawback was low reliability.
  The British army had two tanks of its own design, approximately similar to the Sherman. The first is Cromwell, which went into battle in 1944. His 57mm cannon was inferior to American guns, and he was less protected.

The second tank is the Komet, armed with a shortened version of the 17-pound gun. In terms of firepower, it was approximately equal to the American “Sherman” (but somewhat inferior to the “Fireflies”), had equivalent protection and greater mobility due to the powerful engine.

The Sherman tank has become a real triumph of American industry. Not having much experience in tank building, the Americans were not only able to quickly develop a tank of a successful and thoughtful design - they mass-produced it, while maintaining high quality workmanship and decoration. And the modernization potential of “Sherman” allowed him to successfully confront more modern tanks.

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