Sherman details website

[the_shadock]

I did some updates :

-added 5 pages, 1 for each type of hull (M4, M4A1, M4A2, M4A3, M4A4). Each page show the particularities of each type of hull (driver's hood, engine hatches, engine access doors etc..)

-added 2 PDF files provided by Kurt Laughlin
Sherman Foundry Symbols and Trademarks
Sherman Manufacturing data locations

-and finally added the "Sherman Serial Numbers list", a complete list of the Sherman Serial Numbers ranges, listed by model / manufacturer / SN range

P-O

[Tichenor]

P-O

About that engine deck from the M4A3, its not the first time i've seen that kind of hatches. If they belong only to early M4A3 I dont know but they are of the same concept of the ones found on the later M74.

Tichenor

[Michel_Krauss]

P-O

Question about the drivers and hull MG postion of the M4A4

The picture below comes from the Sherman site



I have been comparing this picture with the M4A4's that are at Overloon

And the arrangement of the vision block's is different
This is an picture of the M4A4 Sherman Crab Mk 1, the other "standard" M4A4 has the same configuration as the Crab version



Michel

(edit) question: I alway's thoughted the lower of the 2 being an distinct M4A4 feature

[the_shadock]

no, the earliest M4A4 did have Direct Vision, but the latter ones didn't have this feature.

You will find early M4A4s with front appliqué armour plates covring the DV feature, and also M4A4s with front appliqué armor plates, but that never had DV.

However, one particularity is that M4A4s never had 47° glacis and large hatches (even the ones which you can find with HVSS), they were always built with 57° glacis, smal protruding hoods.

P-O

[bsmart]

- the_shadock

no, the earliest M4A4 did have Direct Vision, but the latter ones didn't have this feature.

You will find early M4A4s with front appliqué armour plates covring the DV feature, and also M4A4s with front appliqué armor plates, but that never had DV.

However, one particularity is that M4A4s never had 47° glacis and large hatches (even the ones which you can find with HVSS), they were always built with 57° glacis, smal protruding hoods.

P-O

I don't think there were any production M4A4 HVSS tanks. There was at least one experimental HVSS M4A4 (It survives at the Ordnance Museum) but I believe by the time HVSS entered production the M4A4 had been replaced on the production lines. That isn't to say that in all the various rebuild programs some were not converted to HVSS.

[the_shadock]

- bsmart

- the_shadock

no, the earliest M4A4 did have Direct Vision, but the latter ones didn't have this feature.

You will find early M4A4s with front appliqué armour plates covring the DV feature, and also M4A4s with front appliqué armor plates, but that never had DV.

However, one particularity is that M4A4s never had 47° glacis and large hatches (even the ones which you can find with HVSS), they were always built with 57° glacis, smal protruding hoods.

P-O

I don't think there were any production M4A4 HVSS tanks. There was at least one experimental HVSS M4A4 (It survives at the Ordnance Museum) but I believe by the time HVSS entered production the M4A4 had been replaced on the production lines. That isn't to say that in all the various rebuild programs some were not converted to HVSS.

Bob, when I said "the ones which you find with HVSS", I was talking about tanks used for example by Israel, and they used M4A4s with HVSS (IIRC). Obviously, as changing the driving train is not a very complicated thing, I think that Israel did it themselves..

I think that there is an ex M50 Super Sherman in the USA (Texas?) which has a 105mm turret and gun, and which is an M4A4 with HVSS.

P-O