M4A1 Sherman | |
|---|---|
| Pays | Usa |
| Rôle | Réservoir moyen |
Galerie de photos d’un Sherman M4A1, Le M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and the Soviet Union, via lend-lease. In the United Kingdom, the M4 was named after Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, following the British practice of naming their American-built tanks after famous American Civil War generals. Subsequently, the British name found its way into common use in the U.S. The Sherman evolved from the Grant and Lee medium tanks, which had an unusual side-sponson mounted 75 mm gun. It retained much of the previous mechanical design, but added the first American main 75 mm gun mounted on a fully traversing turret, with a gyrostabilizer enabling the crew to fire with reasonable accuracy while the tank was on the move. The designers stressed mechanical reliability, ease of production and maintenance, durability, standardization of parts and ammunition in a limited number of variants, and moderate size and weight. These factors made the Sherman superior in some regards to the earlier German light and medium tanks of 1939-41. The Sherman ended up being produced in large numbers and formed the backbone of most Allied offensives, starting in late 1942.
Source: M4A1 sur Wikipedia
| M4A1 Sherman | |
|---|---|
| Photographe | Inconnu |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 37 |
| M4A1 Sherman Walk Around | |
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| Photographe | Vladimir Yakubov |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 54 |
| M4A1(76)W Sherman Walk Around | |
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| Photographe | Bill Maloney |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 17 |
Voir aussi :
| Sherman M4A1 Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographe | Don Alen |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 30 |
The Master of Logistics and Reliability
Lla M4A1 Sherman was the first version of the legendary Sherman series to enter full-scale production. While most Shermans had boxy, welded hulls, the M4A1 was famous for its fully cast upper hull, giving it distinctive rounded edges. It wasn’t designed to be the « heaviest » Ou « most powerful » tank on the battlefield; instead, it was designed for reliability, repairability, and transportability. Because every Sherman was built to fit on a standard cargo ship, the U.S. could flood Europe and the Pacific with thousands of them, ensuring that even if a Tiger was stronger, there were always ten Shermans waiting around the next corner.
| Attribute | Technical Specification (Early/Mid Production) |
|---|---|
| Rôle | Réservoir moyen |
| Crew | 5 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver, Assistant Driver) |
| moteur | Continental R975-C1 9-cylinder radial gasoline (400 hp) |
| Vitesse maximale | 38 km/h (24 mph) on road |
| Armement principal | 75 mm M3 L/40 gun (90 rounds) |
| Armement secondaire | 1 × .50 cal M2HB (roof), 2 × .30 cal M1919 (coaxial/bow) |
| Armor | 51 mm (Frontal, sloped) to 76 mm (Gun mantlet) |
| Weight | 30.3 tonnes (Combat weight) |
Design Engineering: The Aircraft Heart
- The Radial Engine: The M4A1 used a Continental R975 radial engine, originally designed for airplanes. This gave the tank its signature « tall » profile (as the driveshaft had to run from the high engine to the front transmission), but the engine was extremely robust and easy to replace in the field.
- Gyrostabilizer: The Sherman was one of the first tanks in the world to feature a vertical stabilizer for its main gun. While it didn’t allow for perfect « fire-on-the-move, » it kept the gun steady enough that the gunner could find and track a target much faster after the tank stopped.
- Wet Stowage: Later models (notably the M4A1 76W) moved ammunition from the « sponsons » (sides) to water-jacketed racks on the floor. This drastically reduced the chance of the tank exploding when hit, ending the early-war reputation for flammability.
- The Cast Hull Advantage: The rounded shape of the M4A1’s hull actually helped deflect some incoming rounds and made it faster to manufacture for factories that had large-scale casting facilities (like Pressed Steel Car Company).
Operational History: Winning the War of Attrition
- Debut at El Alamein: The first M4A1s were actually used by the British in North Africa. They were a massive shock to the Germans; for the first time, an Allied tank could outgun the Panzer III and hold its own against the Panzer IV.
- The 76mm Upgrade: By 1944, the 75mm gun struggled against Panthers and Tigers. The M4A1 was up-gunned with a high-velocity 76mm gun (M4A1 76), giving it a fighting chance at longer ranges.
- Lend-Lease Legend: Thousands of M4A1s were sent to the Free French and the British (who called it the Sherman II). The Soviets also received them and praised the « Emcha » for its crew comfort and silent-running rubber tracks compared to the noisy, all-steel T-34.
- The Post-War Life: The M4A1 chassis was so adaptable it served for decades after 1945. The Israeli M-51 « Super Sherman » even mounted a massive French 105mm gun on the old M4A1 hull, successfully fighting much newer T-55 and T-62 tanks in the 1960s and 70s.
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