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Sherman Tank in Action Photos


Jim Baker
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I love the Sherman, and I love seeing good photos of them in action. If you have them, please post them. Really, any good clear photos of US armor are good.

 

Here is one I swiped from the internet to use as a screen saver.

post-78-1168639385.jpg

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Charlie Flick

Hey Jim:

 

I like the armor stuff too, and period pics in particular. Here are a couple from my archives that I think you will like. The first one is of a Sherman exiting an LST in October, 1943. The location is unknown but it looks a lot like the Mediterranean.

 

LST_Unloads_Sherman_10_43.jpg

 

The second one shows a Zippo Sherman. Date and location are unknown.

 

Sherman_flamethrower_2.jpg

 

 

 

Charlie Flick

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Hi Guys i have a couple of favourite sherman pics...the first one is the famous one of the M4A3 moving through HQ Company of the 84th Infantry In Linnich.....just prior to crossing the Roer River as part of Operation Grenade..the one with the WC52 in the picture aswell.

 

Another that sums up the end of the war very well is the 6th Armored "Easy 8" going Westwards on the Autobahn near Giessen Germany ...with the coloums of German Prisoners going the other way

 

Both classic pictures

 

Regards

 

Lloyd

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Here's a few... all found on the net.

 

I'm not an armor guru by any means and haven't much confidence in my ability to identify variants, so please do so if you know them. I think the first is an M4A2, and the second shows an Easy Eight among some of her plain-Jane M4A3 sisters. The third... Zippo M4A1 with 76mm?

 

If you have anything to add regarding locale, unit, variants etc... please do.

 

 

Sherman046a.jpg

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ShermansETO008b.jpg

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FlameThrowersInBelgium001b.jpg

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UrbanSherman005a.jpg

 

UrbanSherman006a.jpg

 

 

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Stuarts, and Shermans, and Lees, oh my...

Stuarts, and Shermans, and Lees, oh my...

 

This photo of dusty Stuarts, Shermans and Lees was taken during maneuvers at Fort Knox in 1942.

 

1a35207u2.jpg

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Here's a closer look at the Stuarts...

 

1a35207uZ1a.jpg

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This is one of several color photos documenting these maneuvers that can be found in the FSA-OWI section of the Library of Congress website.

 

 

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Here's a few... all found on the net.

Sherman046a.jpg

Click for larger image

Fade to Black...

 

I see two machineguns sticking out of the front and next to the gun "ball".

Was there a type built like that?

 

Erwin

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Tankdozersnow.jpg

Tankdozer.

 

USTankStuck.jpg

Stuck in the mud

 

TakingwaterSherman.jpg

Taking water

 

m4a1_3.jpg

M4A1

 

M4A376mm-4.jpg

M4A3 (76 mm)

 

M4A3E8761stTankBnoutsideNancyFrance.jpg

M4A3E8 - 761st Tank Battalion, outside Nancy, France.

 

Erwin

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I see two machineguns sticking out of the front and next to the gun "ball".

Was there a type built like that?

As I said I'm no armor guru, but one of my references seems to indicate that the twin fixed MGs were a feature of early M4A2s... I really dunno, that's why I'm hoping someone can tell me for sure. I could probably just ask a friend of mine who's an incurable Sherman nut... maybe I will...

 

 

Here's some more images, all from the net.

 

This first one isn't really all that clear, as it's a wire photo. But I kinda like the look of wire photos, and this is a neat scene which could inspire a diorama, wouldn't you say Jim? Grabbed this image from an epay auction.

 

PhotoUSTankHannover2.jpg

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Here's a dozer with a pin-up on the hull armor plate...

 

ShermanDozer004a.jpg

 

 

And here's some swimmers coming ashore at Kwajalein, February 2nd, 1944. Tank #19, 'Lightning', has at least two pin-ups; one on the barrel and one on the forward turret next to the number. Tank #13 has a pin-up between the two hull armor plates.

 

t74z2.jpg

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Fade to Black...

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Early Shermans--cast and welded hull--were built with twin fixed .30cal M1919A4 machine guns in the hull which were operated by the driver. These could be locked at any elevation between +8° and -6°. The driver's machine guns were eliminated on March 6, 1942.

 

Sherman M4A1

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A few images I have acquired that came with photo prints for my book project:

 

Looks like North Africa, but these are M4A1s are being used for training at Camp Bradford, Virginia November 1944.

 

post-85-1168736543.jpg

 

M4A1s on the drive towards Palermo, Sicily 1943, passing an abandoned artillery piece. The near tank has the yellow circle around the star used in North Africa and Sicily.

 

post-85-1168736594.jpg

 

M4A3s with wading trunks, of Company B, of an unidentified Army tank battalion supporting an infantry advance. Okinawa April 1945.

 

post-85-1168737239.jpg

 

M4A3 in close support of Marine infantry on Iwo Jima. The caption indicates the smoke at center was from a Japanese mortar round. The three nearest Marines all wear BAR magazine belts.

 

post-85-1168737277.jpg

 

Not "action" images but I think of interest because of the clarity, these are Ordnance Department "official" photo prints.

 

M4A3 HVSS 76mm (Wet storage) September 1944.

 

post-85-1168738258.jpg

 

M4A3E2 VVS Assault "Jumbo" 76mm (Wet storage) July 1944. Added armor plate and track grousers (extensions) improve survivability.

 

post-85-1168738279.jpg

 

I particulary like this image because all the BII (tools) are in place. Note the M2 HB .50 caliber stowed at the rear of the turret.

 

M4A1 76mm overhead view April 1944.

 

post-85-1168739137.jpg

 

M4A3 interior driver's compartment. Not much in the way of creature comforts. The clutch pedal is on the left and the gear shift with knob is on the right. The handles (laterals) are the brakes for the tracks. To turn the driver simply put the brake on the track on the side in the direction he wanted to turn. To stop he pulled back on both. The driver's intercom box is to the right of the laterals. The large cap to the extreme left covers an electrical plug used to "slave" (jump start) the vehicle in the event the batteries aren't providing enough power to start the engine(s). The intrument cluster left front has engine and battery status gauges, speedometer, odometer and etc.

 

post-85-1168739167.jpg

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Here's an original photo from a photo album I have. This poor Sherman appears to have received the short end of the stick! Based on my knowledge of where the soldier served, this photo was probably taken in France in the summer of '44.

508th2.jpg

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Great pics Guru....note the painted out Stars....less to "aim at" and the big ID stars on the engine decks....

 

Jim superb pic of the Calliope Tubes on that A3.....:-)

 

Regards

 

Lloyd

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Whats that on the rear of the top picture Guru..look like M1935 Bedding rolls ?

 

Super clear pictures as you say buddy

 

Regards

 

Lloyd

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I see two machineguns sticking out of the front and next to the gun "ball".

Was there a type built like that?

Erwin

 

Both the early production M4A1 (cast hull) and M4A2 (welded hull) were fitted with the two fixed .30-caliber MGs. Note also in this image the vision ports in front of the driver and asst. driver positions. This tank also has the early VVS suspension with the return rollers centered on the bogies. The bogies were soon changed and the fixed MGs and vision ports eliminated. This vehicle had only one hatch in the hull at the driver's position. A hatch was added at the Asst. Driver's position and escape hatch on the bottom of the hull.

 

It would be rather difficult to determine the exact features of any Sherman from an exterior view because so many variations in engines, transmissions, turrets, hulls and track types that were changed at various times in production there was almost no true standard model.

 

For example there were at least 6 hull configurations: cast or welded hull with bolted transmission cover, cast or welded hull with cast transmission cover, composite hull (cast bow and welded sides and rear), welded hull with ?? degree front slope and welded hull with 47 degree front slope.

 

One of the "discussions" that seems to frequently come up between armor affectionados is which tank is better? This for the most part is an exercise in futility that very rarely includes factors of crew (training, morale & etc.), tactical doctrine or logistics (such as manufactuering, fuel, ammunition and etc.). One of the "facts" that detractors of the M4 love to state is the Grmans referred to the M4 as "Ronsen," because of the gas engines the tanks often caught fire when hit. The fact is the Germans thought highly of the M4 and the nickname Rosen originated with the crews of the flame throwing models of the M4, not the Germans.

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Thanks for the very informative explanation, Guru.

 

It is true that a well-equipped Sherman in the hands of a trained and experienced tank crew could be very lethal.

Since they knew they were hardly a match against the "superior" Panther and Tiger tanks, they quickly adapted different techniques of outrunning these "beasts", getting near their vulnerable places and different ways of crippling them and make every shot count.

But it sure takes a lot of steel nerves and guts to go out there and fight it out.

 

I know there are a lot of misconceptions regarding the Sherman tank.

But what I wonder about is why they didn't produce a Sherman with a decent gun at first.

They sure knew that the enemy tanks generally had more powerful guns installed?

 

Erwin

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Sherman(?)

 

bulgeyg4.jpg

 

 

Oh boy, I would not want to be manning that mortar when the M4 crew fired that 76mm. The muzzle blast would be very unpleasant. The only place you're reasonably safe from muzzle blast in inside the hull, even then you're feeling the effects of recoil on the whole tank. The recoil of the gun and ejection of the cartridge case inside of the turret is certainly exciting enough.

 

Some more "cool" images of Sherman. I read in a biography of a WWII tanker that the driver would sleep with only one blanket. When it got cold enough to wake him up he would start the engine to keep the engine(s) coolent from freezing.

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But what I wonder about is why they didn't produce a Sherman with a decent gun at first.

They sure knew that the enemy tanks generally had more powerful guns installed?

 

Erwin

 

The answer to this question is rather complicated and doesn't have much to do with Sherman but here is a brief history. In 1940 the Ordnance Department did recognize the capability and future of German tanks. The Armored Forces Board made specifications for heavy and medium tanks. Ordnance was already working on designs and experimental models. The heavy tank design was the T-1 program that produced a tank with armor that would have been capable of withstanding the 88mm guns later mounted on German Tiger and Panther tanks. This tank was standardized as M-6 and mounted a 3 inch (76mm) main gun with a 37mm coaxilly mounted with the main gun. Early models had .50 MGs fixed in the hull front.

 

In this view of the T-1E2 (M-6) the coax 37mm gun is visibile just above the 3 in. main gun barrel. The .50 MGs are visible at hull front, a flex mount .50 is at the rear of the turret and a .30 caliber MG is mounted in a cupola on the turret.

 

post-85-1168890248.jpg

 

M-6 compared to an M-3 medium (Lee).

 

post-85-1168890273.jpg

 

The trials medium tanks was the T-20, T-22 and T-23 series. These trial tanks had various models of 75-76mm main guns and some trials were made of mounting 90mm guns on the T-23. These trials eventually led to the delelopment of T-26 (M-26) Pershing with 90mm main gun.

 

T-23 medium with M4 suspension.

 

post-85-1168890289.jpg

 

The tactical doctrine of the Armored Force required a tank with great manuverability and speed. It was the job of the tank destroyers to take on enemy armor. The M-4 was allready in production by the time the M-6 heavy was turned down by the armored force because it did not fit into established tactical doctrine. The Armor Force Board did ask ordnance to design a turret and mount for the 90mm gun to be married to the M-4 hull. Subsequent developments demonstrated that a 90mm gun could be mounted but a new suspension had to be designed to carry the weight. And so it goes.

 

This has been a very brief explanation of what was going on with American tank design and I'm not sure this thread was the place to post it. I thought that this related to the position of M-4 medium Sherman in the the scheme of tank development and doctrine.

 

Tank design is a exercise in compromize. The factors to be considered are weight, defense (survivability), offense, engine and suspension. For example if you want the tank heavily armored you need a larger (more powerful) engine to move it and you may sacrafice mobility because of the limitations of the engine. You also need a suspension capable of supporting the weight, which will add more to the gross weight. Bigger gun, more weight, requireing more engine power and heavier suspension resulting in loss of mobility and survivability.

 

Technology has a great deal to do with finding the formula for a tank that mets the requirements and for which there is manufacturing capability. M-4 was the answer to the quizz in 1941.

 

As the Germans were put on the defensive the requirement of their tanks changed to vehicles more suitable to defense. The Tiger and Panther were better armed and armored than M-4 medium in 1944-45, but had those tanks existed in 1940-41 we would have fielded something that would have had the capability of taking them on and surviving the combat.

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