Sherman tank
design improvements

M4A2(76mm) Sherman

M4 Sherman tank design improvements
Type: American medium tank.
History: User experience led to numerous design improvements being suggested by the Armored Force and incorporated into M4 Sherman series vehicles by the Ordnance Department. Fore most among these were the need for a more powerful gun and better protection.

Sherman tank with 76mm gun:
To increase firepower the Ordnance Department developed the 76mm gun M1 and M1A1, starting in July 1942. Tests showed that the existing M4 series turret was too small to accommodate the extra length of this weapon and the turret of the T20/T23 medium tank was adopted and suitably modified. The 76mm gun installation was standardised and introduced in production lines from February 1944 and vehicles so fitted were available in time for the Normandy landings and subsequent combat in NW Europe. Suffix '(76mm)' indicated vehicles with this gun. A modified 76mm gun M1A1C or M1A2 with muzzle-brake was later introduced.

Standard production M4A1 Sherman tank with 'wet stowage' and M1A1 76mm gun.

Sherman tank with better protection:
Fire hazard from hits in the engine, ammunition bins, and fuel tanks was the major shortcoming in the M4 series due to the relatively thin armour. Expedient measures to combat this were the addition of applique armour plates on hull sides adjacent to ammunition bins and fuel tanks, plus further applique armour welded on hull, and sometimes turret, front. Field modifications by crews included the use of sandbags on hull front and the welding of spare track shoes in vulnerable spots. In some instances large armour shields or concrete were added to hull fronts. Major design change to overcome the problem was the introduction of 'wet stowage' (glycerine-protected) ammunition racks in 76mm-armed and late 75mm-armed vehicles. Howitzer-armed vehicles had internal armour plates on ammunition racks.

Standard M4A2(76mm) Sherman with M1A1 gun and new 47° hull front.

Miscellaneous: Other improvements included better electrical wiring, and other internal detail changes, a new 47° hull front to simplify production (it also improved frontal protection), larger access hatches for driver and co-driver, a loader's hatch, and the provision of a vision cupola for the commander replacing the rotating hatch ring originally fitted.

Users: USA, Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa, France, Russia, China (for all series).

A column of Russian M4A2(76mm) Sherman tanks line the streets of Brno on 26 April 1945. Shermans were the single most common type of Allied tanks supplied to the Soviet Union, and played a prominent role in the 1944-45 fighting.

M4A1(76mm) Sherman at Panzermuseum Munster, Germany.

3d model M4A2(76mm) Sherman

This 3d model is a current element of the WW2 game WW2 Total. The data for production, movement and combat of the Axis and Allies units are here !

MORE PICTURES FROM M4 (76mm) SHERMAN

Russian Sherman (76mm) and T-34 in front of the Austrian Alps in spring 1945.