The Sherman Tank what an amazing vehicle!!

[kfz]

From an engineering and technical point its hard to argue with. Give thanks to the war winner that is the M4.

Easily built in many different factories using mass production automotive techniques by unskilled. Available in war winning huge numbers. Reliable simple low maintaince, easily maintained in the field. Operational readiness the envy of other armies.

Huge parts interchangability able to take many different engines, which is a huge advantage. The main of mass production is supplier problems, soon as one engine dried up you used another. From an engieering design point of view this is so hard to do. To make such a versitle design its impressive.

Fought in every theater from the -40'c steppe to +40'c desert, Normandy mud, Italy and everything in between. Amazing that a single design can do this, 60 years on we would stuggle to make a machine that performs as well in any conditions with so little alteration. I dont think any other AFV has a record like this one.

Forsight of design to be able to be upgunned. Big problem with other Allied designs is lack of development. So much easier to develop a working model than to go back to the drawing board. Ability to maintain pace with other new designs shows something special.

Its easy to get caught up in the books going on about the techiniucal ability of the panther, the Ability of the T34, the more glamerous and the more hyped up. But theres one tank that did the work every day, day in day out, without doubt a War winner.


Kev (thinking aloud!!)

[Kyt]

Apart for the unfortunate early models that had a tendency to "brew-up" - the Germans called it the "Tommycooker". Remedied by the repositioning of teh ammo-locker.

[adamcotton]

Originally Posted by Kyt

Apart for the unfortunate early models that had a tendency to "brew-up" - the Germans called it the "Tommycooker". Remedied by the repositioning of teh ammo-locker.

I believe even the Americans called it "The Ronson" because it always lit first time!

[Kyt]

Originally Posted by adamcotton

I believe even the Americans called it "The Ronson" because it always lit first time!

Does that mean that the Americans called the Tiger the "Zippo" - takes several strikes to work

[jacobtowne]

Wouldn't the gasoline engines in the early models also pose a fire hazard? At some point, I think the engine was changed to diesel.

The Sherman also saw a good deal of service in the Pacific Theater.

JT

[BulgarianSoldier]

Sherman tank isnt bad but i really prefer the german tanks and expecialy the Tiger.

[sapper]

The Sherman? Bloody awful tank but plentiful..How bad? Goodwwod we lost 400. Shermans burning all,over the battlefield columns of black smoke spread over the battlefield.
The Germans called it the Tommy Cooker, the British called it the Ronson Lighter after a British cigarette lighter. The advert was "lights first time every time" I speak as one that has seen action on the back of one. The heat generated inside a Sherman was so intense that the bones of the crew would be white and would crumble when touched into dust.
A tank that could not withstand the enemy solid shot. it was a bloody awful tank, but as I said, plentiful. That alone was its greatest claim to fame.
Sapper
By the way I had a Ronson lighter!

[BulgarianSoldier]

Originally Posted by sapper

The Sherman? Bloody awful tank but plentiful..How bad? Goodwwod we lost 400. Shermans burning all,over the battlefield columns of black smoke spread over the battlefield.
The Germans called it the Tommy Cooker, the British called it the Ronson Lighter after a British cigarette lighter. The advert was "lights first time every time" I speak as one that has seen action on the back of one. The heat generated inside a Sherman was so intense that the bones of the crew would be white and would crumble when touched into dust.
A tank that could not withstand the enemy solid shot. it was a bloody awful tank, but as I said, plentiful. That alone was its greatest claim to fame.
Sapper
By the way I had a Ronson lighter!

What about Sherman M51?
Sherman 50mm armor And 5 people in such a small tank.
But dont forget that sometimes the comander and good crew is the vital point.
I drived T-55 unbalivable tank 200mm armor at the turret and 120 mm at the Hull it was fast 50 km and 100mm rifle gun 4 man crew however more then 80 T-55 tanks were destroyed really easy by the Croatian and Bosnian army.

[Harry Ree]

The Sherman Tank had many deficiencies as has already be made.The point in in favour of it was that they kept on coming, such was the US production programme.

It would be wrong to identity the Sherman as an amazing vehicle,that title belongs to the best battle tank of the Second World War, the T34.The Hun was more fearful of this tank than any other Allied tank.Straight off the production track to the battlefield without the normal cosmetic finishing, such was the urgency.

[Kyt]

Originally Posted by Harry Ree

The point in in favour of it was that they kept on coming, such was the US production programme.

The only problem with the fact that they kept on coming was the human cost - sending out wave after wave of Shermans because they were easily replaceable should actually be translated as the death and injury of wave after wave of young soldiers.