WW2 US Sherman?

[27Division18]

Is this one of the models or types of WW2 Sherman tank?

[Proud Kraut]

Yes, looks like a Sherman M4A1 with 76mm gun.

[27Division18]

Thanks for the ID. Why did some US tanks from WW2 have a star in a circle and others just display the star on its own?

[27Division18]

Does the star in the circle denote service with the British Army?

[Joe55]

Don't take this as gospel but, I seem to remember reading somewhere that it was to aid in recognition from the air.  Perhaps someone else will chime in.

 

Joe

[Joe55]

4 minutes ago, 27Division18 said:

Does the star in the circle denote service with the British Army?

Not necessarily.  Both American and some French vehicles used those markings as well.

 

Joe

[patches]

After a point it was called the Allied Star.

 

A curious thing, the German 15th Panzer Grenadier Division in Sicily, Italy and later on the Western Front used this same  White Star as their vehicle symbol, go figure.

[iron bender]

I will confirm through one of my WW2 Armor camo books this evening, but I recall US vehicles began applying a circle around the star either during or after Torch, as FO's and aircraft had a hard time distinguishing the German Cross from the US Star at distance. 

[iron bender]

US Armor by Jim Mesko states the circles were applied before Sicily for the above reasons, chiefly friendly forces identification. 

[gap]

I bet they also made a great aiming point for Panzers and anti-tank cannons! 

[iron bender]

16 minutes ago, gap said:

I bet they also made a great aiming point for Panzers and anti-tank cannons! 

Yes they did. Just looking at a pic of a recovered Sherman with two perfect holes right in the middle of the star

[27Division18]

Thanks for the info guys

[Linedoggie]

M4A1,76(W) VVSS

Wet stowage, big hatch with the later M1A1C main gun on an early T23 turret with the rotating loader hatch

 

Your missing the pistol port door but thats relatively easy to scratchbuild as its simply a round edge square

 

https://www.theshermantank.com/sherman/turrets-the-are-the-combat-power-of-the-tank/

 

http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/manufacturer/m4a1largehatches/m4a1_largehatches.html

 

Details of the pistol port

http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/pistol_port/pistol_port.html

 

 

[patches]

On 9/11/2022 at 11:56 PM, patches said:

After a point it was called the Allied Star.

 

A curious thing, the German 15th Panzer Grenadier Division in Sicily, Italy and later on the Western Front used this same  White Star as their vehicle symbol, go figure.

Found a real good photo of the White Star used on the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division vehicles, here in Italy, say January or February 1944, Was always curious why and how they could adopt the same exact vehicle Marking as the Enemy's LOL.

[patches]

An Armored Car of the division, White Star on the nose of vehicle.

[manayunkman]

They were using that white star before the allied white star ever emerged.

[Linedoggie]

US star with circle surround was initiated before the invasion of Sicily. It continued in NWE usually as a segmented ring with star because of the stencils used. Solid rings were touched up to mkae the ring solid. You also sometimes see the ring in Sicily painted Drab Yellow FS33245

 

The reason most Western Allied vehicles used the star was twofold

 

Common recognition device and most of the Forces being American we had the choice

 

Previous campaigns some allied forces used the British white red white flash