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[Mark in Rochester]

Marines of 1st Btn. 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division on Iwo Jima. M4 Sherman tank 'Bed Bug' in background.



No one attacks me with impunity = nemo me impune lacessit

Information

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[Flying10uk]

I believe that the Sherman tank was available with a cast hull, a welded hull as per the above picture and I seem to think a 3rd type of hull??? Can anyone please confirm if there was a 3rd type of hull and if so what, please?

[RT Ellis]

The first hull design designated M4A1 was cast. The welded hull was designated M4. There was a composite hull that joined a cast bow and the rest of the hull was welded. There was also the extended hull M4A4 that accommodated five 6-cylinder engines. The angle of the glacis plate on later welded hulls was changed and might be considered a variation.

[Mark in Rochester]

M4
Continental radial engine; welded hull. 75mm barrel cannon. Users: US, Britain, Poland, France. M4(105) - Upgraded with 105mm M4 Howitzer, designed for infantry support and assault, sacrificing anti-armour capability.M4(105) HVSS - M4(105) w/ HVSS (Easy Eight).

M4A1
Continental radial engine; one-piece cast hull; 75mm barrel cannon. Users: US, Britain, South Africa, Poland(M4A1(76)W), France (small numbers), China M4A1E4/M4A1(76)W - Upgraded with 76 mm M1 gun.M4A1E8/M4A1(76)W HVSS - Upgraded with widetrack Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS), fitted with the 76 mm M1 gun.M4A1E9 - Late war remanufacturing, applique armor, new vision cupola and oval loader's hatch on the turret roof, spaced out VVSS suspension, extended end connectors on both sides of the tracks, but retaining the old 75 mm M3 gun. Users: Chile

M4A2
Diesel-powered with General Motors 6046 using powertrain from earlier M3A3/M3A5; first model manufactured with welded hull; 75mm cannon. Users: USSR, Britain, France, Poland, US. No US Army combat use except for DD conversions for the Omaha landings. M4A2E4 - Upgraded with Torsion Bar suspension; never put into production.M4A2E8/M4A2(76)W HVSS - Upgraded with widetrack Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS), fitted with the 76mm M1 gun.

M4A3
Ford GAA V-8 engine; welded hull; both 75mm and 76mm cannons used. Users: US, France (small numbers), Nicaragua (small numbers).
The M4A3 was the preferred US Army vehicle. M4A3(75) - M4A3 with 75mm M3 gun.M4A3(105) - M4A3 with 105mm mortar cannon used for infantry support rather than anti-armour.M4A3E2 Assault Tank - postwar nickname "Jumbo" - extra armour (including 1 inch on front), vertical sided turret, but about 3-4 mph slower. Built with 75mm gun but frequently re-armed by the using units with 76mm guns. Grousers fitted to the tracks. Users: US, France (one vehicle)M4A3E4/M4A3(76)W - M4A3 with 76mm M1 gun.M4A3E8/M4A3(76)W HVSS (Easy Eight) - Upgraded with widetrack Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS), fitted with the 76mm High Velocity cannon.M4A3E9/M4A3(105) HVSS - Upgraded with widetrack Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS)[citation needed]

M4A4
Chrysler A57 engine; welded, lengthened hull; 75-mm gun only as-built. Users: Britain, France, China, Lebanon (Firefly), Nicaragua (small numbers). Sherman Firefly/Sherman Vc - About 2,000 were re-armed by the British with their 17-pounder (76.2 mm) guns as the Sherman Firefly. (It should be noted that the Firefly variant wasn't exclusive to M4A4/Sherman V subtype, as 17-pounder gun was mounted on more Sherman subtypes.)

M4A5
No US vehicle was built with this designation; the number was meant to signify Canadian production. Known as the Ram, it was a parallel development from the M3 medium tank chassis, with an M4-like central turret.M4A6Caterpillar D200A turbocharged, air-cooled radial multi-fuel engine adapted from Wright G200; composite cast/welded hull lengthened similarly to the M4A4; 75mm gun only. Only a 75 of this variant were built and none were used in combat.[

[Bob Womack]

A comparison of three variants:



Bob

[imntxs554]

I know the M3 Stuart wasn't the best and had plenty of flaws but it had ground-breaking designs that what we use today and it deserved a lot more credit than it was given. Like Speeeed and the capabilities to jump over or on other motorized vehicles.

Frank

[browningautorifle]

Not sure jumping ON other vehicle would have been a criteria Frank, It's just a by-the-way fun thing for Saturday afternoons...

[imntxs554]

Jim, I just added the "ON" cause the looks of the trajectory and weight of this M3 looks like it was going to land on it. I seen some M1 Abrams do some awesome crazy maneuvers. I even seen a couple of TCP's spitting teeth.

[browningautorifle]

We did the same things with the Leopard 1's...in the airs above the ground.