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SFC_Jeff_Button

Tired of the M60's?!?! Well here is a Sherman for you. This M4A3E8 sits in front of Ft Hoods Range Control and I believe someone posted one picture of it on the old form once. Maybe Kurt Laughlin can help with this and the other Shermans I plan to post. Here are the stampings I found; Left hull had A3037 stamped on it. Front hull had 16401, S66111 on the right as you looked head on, and 79(marked out) 67, 30125550 A on the left side of the front hull. The turret had 2599 18C stamped on the front of the turret. She was one good looking tank. Notice the Monroe shocks?!

Doug_Kibbey

- SFC_Jeff_Button

Notice the Monroe shocks?!

Jeff,
I bet a set of Koni's would improve the lap times by a coupla' seconds. Wink

Neil_Baumgardner

Jeff, thanks again.

Any chance you checked for a stamped SN on the reat tow lugs?

Neil

jcneel

Back a couple of years ago when I visited Fort Hood, I seem to remember seeing several Shermans parked out in front of different areas (and a Pershing, too, if I remember right). Anyway - I think that they were all M4A3E8 (76mm). Besides the one M4A1 (75mm) at the 4th ID museum, are there any different models out there?

An M4A1(76mm) would be cool, either with HVSS or VVSS. Or maybe an M4A3 (75mm)???

cn

SFC_Jeff_Button

I was at Ft Hood from Jan 98-Jun 01 with 3-66 AR. The M4 nicknamed "Barfly" sat in front of our Battalion HQ's. I found it yesterday in back of HHD 1st Brigade, 4ID's motor pool. I couldn't get in there but I might try later this week. The other Sherman sitting by its self was in the 36th ENG BDE motor pool, also locked up.

This M60 was in the HHD 1st BDE motor pool, about 40 yards away from "Barfly". I'd never seen this tank on post before. What do its markings tell us? I apologize for the picture quality. My camera was zoomed to max to get these pics.

SFC_Jeff_Button

I thought I checked the rear tow lugs as I usually do, I don't think there were any or they were painted over.

SFC_Jeff_Button

Hey Toadman, can Joe DeMarco tell us the serial on this Range Control M4A3E8 by its numbers on the front hull of 67, 30125550? The Historical Property Catalog at the museum is listing this tank as made by Ford in 1944, and that the "67" is its serial number.

Neil_Baumgardner

Jeff,
Your M60 pics reminded me about this one - I need to ask Joe DeMarco about the SN. I seriously doubt any M4A3 had an SN as low as 67...

Neil

obob

Look closely at that M4A3E8 plaque...
Someone engraved a typo.

I'm pretty sure it reads "East Eight" !!!

--

Kurt_Laughlin · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 577

Hi folks:

I've been out of the game for awhile but stumbled across this thread when I Google'd myself.

That's a valid registration stamped into the hull. This was apparently not uncommon in the postwar Army. The differential is from another tank (S/N 66111) as the serial corresponding to the R/N is 66228. The Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal construction number A3037 is a good match to this tank's position in the assembly line: 66228 was the 3048th serial number assigned.

This tank was originally an M4A3(75)W and apparently re-turreted during the upgrade programs of the late 1940's. The turret probably came from an M4A2. Inasmuch as the bogie brackets were bolted on rather than welded, this means this is hull of one of the rare M4A3(75)W HVSS, built in unknown numbers (say around 500) in early 1945. By my figuring this one was made in March, 24th or so from the end of the run, one of the last 75mm Shermans built.

Hope that helps,
KL

SFC_Jeff_Button

Thanks, Kurt. Been a while since I've heard from you. I'm at Ft Eustis right now for ANCOC but will be back at Ft Hood around 15 April. I'll update my M4 information book I've put together, with your info on this tank. Once I have all the Shermans as researched and documented as I think I can get, I will give the information to the two museums on post for their records as well. They typically don't seem to now the signifigance of many of their items.

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