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United States' M4A1 medium tank, Sherman
Photos
M4A1 Medium Tank:
U.S. Ordnance Dept.
U.S. Ordnance Dept.
M4A1 Medium Tank:
U.S. Ordnance Dept.
U.S. Ordnance Dept.
M4A1 medium tank's gun mount and guard with the seats
U.S. Ordnance Dept.
U.S. Ordnance Dept.
M4A1 Medium Tank:
Mark Holloway
Mark Holloway
T34E1 Rocket Launcher Medium Tank:
Aberdeen Tank Museum
Aberdeen Tank Museum
Dragon Armor, 60257:
Dragon Armor, 60258:
Dragon Armor, 60292:
Dragon Armor, 60293:
Forces of Valor, 95024:
Design
Cast hull. Early models had M3 bogie units, M2 75 mm gun with counter weights and twin fixed machine guns in hull. Soon hull machine guns eliminated and M3 75 mm gun used. M34A1 mount and sand shields were added. Had the Continental R-975 motor.
Production
Standardized in December 1941. Built by Lima Locomotive Works, Inc., Pacific Car and Foundry Co., and Pressed Steel Car Co.
Variants
- M4A1 (76mm): Cast hull. Continental R975-C1 petrol.
76 mm gun replaced 75 mm in turret. It had better velocity and thus armor penetration. 2,600 ft/sec, range of 16,100 yards, penetrate 4 inches at 1,000 yards. Gun can also be used in indirect fire mode as an azimuth indicator and elevation quadrant was also available. Water protected ammo racks installed.
The commander had a vision cupola mounted above the turret hatch. It had 6 prismatic vision blocks of 3" laminated bullet-resistant glass.
The ammunition racks were water protected and there was a traveling lock for the main armament in the front to hold it while traveling in non-combat areas. - Tank Recovery Vehicle M32B1: Based on M4A1.
- Full-Track Prime Mover M34: M32B1 removed a-frame and winch. Used as tractor for heavy artillery guns. In service 1944.
- Mine Exploder T1E3 (M1) "Aunt Jemima":
Two roller units each of 5 10' steel discs. 75 built. Used in Normandy and Italy. Most widely used mine exploder. Sometimes a 2nd tank was used to push it. - Rocket Launcher T34E1: 14 tubes in 2 bottom units. The 75 mm gun fired a 14.4 lb AP shell at a muzzle velocity of 2,050'/sec.
Specifications
| M4A1 medium tank, Sherman II | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 5 |
| Radio | SCR-508 |
| Radio - command tank | SCR-506 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 66,500 lb |
| Length | 19' 2" |
| Height | 9' |
| Width | 8' 7" |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 17 1/8" |
| Ground contact length | 12' 3" |
| Ground pressure | 13.7 psi |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 75 mm 75 mm M3 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 3: MG 2: .30 cal MG |
| MG - coaxial | 1: .30 cal Browning M1919A4 MG |
| MG - hull | 1: .30 cal Browning M1919A4 MG |
| MG - antiaircraft | .50 cal MG 1: .50 cal M2 HB MG |
| Side arms | 2" M3 Mortar .45 cal submachine gun |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 90, 97 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | .30: 4,750 .50: 300 |
| Side arms | .45: 600 Mortar: 12 (4: Fragmentation Mk III, 4: M8 Smoke, 2: M2 Offensive Mk III, 2: Thermite) |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 12 1" - 2" |
| Hull Front, Upper | 2" 50 |
| Hull Front, Lower | 1.5" - 2" |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 1.5" - 2" |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 1.5" - 2" |
| Hull Rear | 1.5" |
| Hull Top | 1" |
| Hull Bottom | 0.5" - 1" |
| Turret Front | 3" 75 |
| Turret Sides | 2" |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | 1" |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Continental R-975-C1, Caterpillar, Continental |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Air |
| Cylinders | 9 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 353@2,400 rpm, 400 Caterpillar: 450 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | Mechanized syncromesh |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | 1.515:1 |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | 24 volt |
| Ignition | |
| Gear ratio - 1st gear | 7.56:1 |
| - 2nd gear | 3.11:1 |
| - 3rd gear | 1.78:1 |
| - 4th gear | 1.11:1 |
| - 5th gear | 0.73:1 |
| - Reverse | 5.65:1 |
| Fuel (Type) | Caterpillar: Diesel |
| Octane | 80 |
| Quantity | 175 gallons |
| Road consumption | |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Speed - Road | 24 mph 39 kph |
| Speed - Cross Country | |
| Range - Road | 120 miles |
| Range - Cross Country | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | -10° to +25° |
| Fording depth | 3' |
| Trench crossing | 7' 5" |
| Vertical obstacle | 2' |
| Climbing ability | 60% |
| Suspension (Type) | Vertical volute, Volute spring |
| Wheels each side | |
| Wheel size | 20" x 9" |
| Wheel size - idler | 28 1/8" x 9" |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Tracks (Type) | Rubber block |
| Length | |
| Width | 16.5" |
| Number of links | 79 |
| Pitch | 6" |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 6' 11" |
| M4A1 (76 mm), Sherman IIA | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, gunner, loader, driver, co-driver/hull gunner. 5 |
| Radio | |
| Radio - command tank | |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 70,000 lb |
| Length w/gun | 20' 4", 24' 3" |
| Length w/o gun | 20' 4" |
| Height | 9' 9" |
| Width | 8' 9.5" |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | 14.4 psi |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 76 mm |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 3: MG |
| MG - coaxial | |
| MG - hull | |
| MG - antiaircraft | |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 71 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | .30: 6,250 |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 12, 62 1.5" - 2.5" |
| Hull Front, Upper | |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | |
| Turret Sides | |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Continental R-975-C1 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Air |
| Cylinders | 9 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 400 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Gear ratio - 1st gear | |
| - 2nd gear | |
| - 3rd gear | |
| - 4th gear | |
| - 5th gear | |
| - Reverse | |
| Fuel (Type) | |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | |
| Road consumption | |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Speed - Road | 24 mph |
| Speed - Cross Country | |
| Range - Road | 85 miles |
| Range - Cross Country | |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | -10° to +25° |
| Fording depth | 3' |
| Trench crossing | 7' 6" |
| Vertical obstacle | 2' |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | |
| Wheels each side | |
| Wheel size | |
| Wheel size - idler | |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Tracks (Type) | |
| Length | |
| Width | |
| Number of links | |
| Pitch | |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 6' 11" |
| M4A1 with T34E1 | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 5 |
| Radio | |
| Radio - command tank | |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 33.5 tons |
| Length | 20.3' |
| Height | 10' |
| Width | 8.7' |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 17" |
| Ground contact length | 147" |
| Ground pressure | 13.5 psi |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 75 mm M3, L/40 |
| Secondary | 60 tube 4.5" rocket launcher |
| MG | |
| MG - coaxial | 1: .30 cal M1919A4 MG |
| MG - hull | 1: .30 cal M1919A4 MG |
| MG - antiaircraft | |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 89 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | .30: 7,750 |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | Front: 2.5"@46° Side: 1.5" |
| Hull Front, Upper | |
| Hull Front, Lower | |
| Hull Sides, Upper | |
| Hull Sides, Lower | |
| Hull Rear | |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | 3.2" Mantlet: 1.75" |
| Turret Sides | |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Wright |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Air |
| Cylinders | R-9 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 350@2,400 rpm |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | 5.7:1 |
| Transmission (Type) | Synchromesh 5 forward, 1 reverse |
| Steering | Controlled differential |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | Electric |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | Magneto |
| Gear ratio - 1st gear | |
| - 2nd gear | |
| - 3rd gear | |
| - 4th gear | |
| - 5th gear | |
| - Reverse | |
| Fuel (Type) | Gasoline |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | 175 gallons |
| Road consumption | 0.6 mpg |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | Manual and hydraulic |
| Speed - Road | 22 mph |
| Speed - Cross Country | |
| Range - Road | |
| Range - Cross Country | 100 miles |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | |
| Fording depth | 40" |
| Trench crossing | 7.5' |
| Vertical obstacle | 24" |
| Climbing ability | 31° (60%) slope |
| Suspension (Type) | Vertical volute spring, 2 wheels on each of 3 bogies |
| Wheels each side | 3 |
| Wheel size | |
| Wheel size - idler | |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Tracks (Type) | Dry pin, double pin per shoe, rubber cleat |
| Length | |
| Width | 16.5" |
| Number of links | 79 |
| Pitch | 6" |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread |
Sources:
- The American Arsenal, 1996
- Airfix Magazine Guide #26 American Tanks of World War 2, Terry Gander and Peter Chamberlain, 1977
- British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
