A Review of M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65
by
Daniel
“I thought it was going to be the wonder gun of the war… Now I find you can’t knock out a damn thing with it” angrily remarked Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower when he was informed of the new 76mm gun’s inability to penetrate the German Panzer V “Panther” tank at range.[1] At the beginning of the war, the standard M4 Sherman performed well against the inferior Panzer III and early variants of the Panzer IV. When the Germans began fielding the well-armed and heavily-armored Panthers and Panzer VI “Tiger” tanks, the standard M4 proved to be vastly inferior to them in tank-vs-tank combat. This spurred the creation of a program to mount a more powerful gun on the M4, which resulted in Shermans being armed with the newly developed 76mm high-velocity gun.[2]
The Osprey book M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65 by Steven J. Zaloga discusses the origins and service of the up-gunned M4 Sherman. The main question of the book is why did the U.S. Army make as slow progress as they did in developing a version of the M4 with a more penetrative gun than the 75mm M3 dual-purpose gun in the standard M4, which while versatile, proved to be severely inadequate against Panthers and Tigers. The book recounts the fielding of the M4 (76mm), and its performance against the better armed and better armored German tanks on the tactical level, and the Sherman’s advantages as a platform on the operational and strategic level. Also discussed is the reluctance of some commanders to use Shermans with 76mm guns due to a variety of reasons, most prominently the poor performance of the 76mm high-explosive shells. A recurring topic in the book is the concept of developing a version of the Sherman armed with the British 17-pounder anti-tank gun, and the political and logistical complications that prevented an American 17-pounder Sherman from seeing massive deployment.[3]
M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65 is part of Osprey Publishing New Vanguard series, which covers the topics of armored vehicles, naval vessels, and artillery; and includes detailed illustrations related to the topic.[4] Zaloga uses line drawings, cutaway drawings, and illustrations to portray different examples of the Sherman tank. Photographs are used to show Shermans in the field. As a military technology enthusiast especially interested in engineering details, I enjoy seeing the detailed interiors of the tanks. I also appreciate how the statistics for penetration of different gun-ammunition combinations are presented for angled armor surfaces, as opposed to the use of maximum rolled homogeneous-armor penetration, which requires you to account for slope and distance, and can sometimes become misleading when presented on paper. The use of photographs also provides a glimpse of where and how the tanks were used, which will appeal to more general military or World War 2 enthusiasts.
Steven J. Zaloga has conducted extensive research on armored fighting vehicles, and is an author whose other books I have enjoyed. M4 (76mm) Sherman was no exception and lived up to my expectations. Zaloga is an expert in the field of military armaments and history, and is a military analyst. He has written numerous books on military history and technology.[5] As part of his research on armored vehicles, he has interviewed the designers of modern armored vehicles such as the M1 Abrams and the German Leopard II. He has also interviewed American tankers from World War 2 through Operation Desert Storm. Professionally, he has taught courses on armor and anti-armor technology for the Technology Training Corporation, and was part of a government think tank studying the development of Russian and Chinese armored vehicles.[6]
There are dozens of books written about the M4 Sherman. M4 (76mm) Sherman specifically deals with the models of the Sherman armed with the 76mm M1A1 gun. The same content except in a shorter length was presented in “The 76mm Gun Controversy” section of chapter 4 of Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II, also written by Steven J. Zaloga. Armored Thunderbolt provides a well-rounded view of the Sherman from all aspects. A book that provides a more complete coverage of the technical details of the M4 is the 576-page Sherman, A History of the American Medium Tank by R.P. Hunnicutt, which is described by Zaloga as “the best single book on Sherman development.”[7] Readers looking for a more comprehensive coverage of the U.S. Army tank program in World War 2 will want to read Armored Thunderbolt, as it provides details on not only the Sherman, but on the other programs that influenced the decisions made about the Sherman’s role, such as the M18 Hellcat. I found M4 (76mm) Sherman to be slightly more supportive of the effectiveness and necessity of the 76mm gun than Armored Thunderbolt. Interestingly, some of the passages in Armored Thunderbolt are directly copied from M4 (76mm) Sherman. Readers of books that are highly critical of the Sherman, such as Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II by Belton Cooper, may find that this book not critical enough of the Sherman tank.
M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65 is an ideal choice for a reader with a basic understanding of World War 2 armored warfare looking for a quick read. The book provides enough information to satisfy a reader with a fair amount of background knowledge in the Sherman tank, who wants to learn more about the program to upgun the Sherman. I would have preferred slightly more information on the 76mm Sherman against the Panther or the Tiger, such as a detailed account of an engagement. For an Osprey book, M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-75 presents an appropriate level of detail, however I prefer the much longer book, Armored Thunderbolt, because of its greater amount of information on the American tank program.
What does Zaloga conclude took so long to re-arm and deploy Sherman tanks with a more powerful gun? The answer to the first question is a combination of the need for a larger turret to accommodate the larger breech of the 76mm;[8] and the slow pace of army organization in allocating the 76mm tanks to units, which was the reason no 76mm M4 tanks landed at Normandy.[9] What did Zaloga present as reason for the improved but inadequate performance of the 76mm gun mounted on the Shermans? The mediocre performance of the 76mm gun can be traced to the early stages of its design; in the summer of 1942, in order to improve turret balance, the decision was made to shorten the barrel of the original T1 gun by 15 inches, which adversely affected muzzle velocity of the projectile. The resulting gun was designated M1A1. The M1A1 gun had inferior armor penetration compared to the T1, although at the time that was not a concern, as the 75mm was performing adequately and the M1A1 still possessed superior armor penetration to the 75mm.[10]
Sources
“New Vanguard” Osprey Publishing. Accessed September 29, 2018.https://ospreypublishing.com/store/military-history/series-books/new-vanguard.
“Steven J. Zaloga” Osprey Publishing. Accessed September 29, 2018. https://ospreypublishing.com/steven-j-zaloga.
Zaloga, Steven J. Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2008.
Zaloga, Steven J. M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003.
Footnotes
[1] Steven Zaloga. M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65. (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003), p.16-17.
[2] Ibid., 3-4.
[3] Steven Zaloga. M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65. (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003).
[4] “New Vanguard” Osprey Publishing. Accessed September 29, 2018. https://ospreypublishing.com/store/military-history/series-books/new-vanguard
[5] “Steven J. Zaloga” Osprey Publishing. Accessed September 29, 2018. https://ospreypublishing.com/steven-j-zaloga
[6] Steven Zaloga. Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II. (Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2008), p. vi.
[7] Ibid., 353.
[8] Steven Zaloga. M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65. (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003), p. 6.
[9] Ibid., 13.
[10] Ibid., 4-5.
The Osprey book M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65 by Steven J. Zaloga discusses the origins and service of the up-gunned M4 Sherman. The main question of the book is why did the U.S. Army make as slow progress as they did in developing a version of the M4 with a more penetrative gun than the 75mm M3 dual-purpose gun in the standard M4, which while versatile, proved to be severely inadequate against Panthers and Tigers. The book recounts the fielding of the M4 (76mm), and its performance against the better armed and better armored German tanks on the tactical level, and the Sherman’s advantages as a platform on the operational and strategic level. Also discussed is the reluctance of some commanders to use Shermans with 76mm guns due to a variety of reasons, most prominently the poor performance of the 76mm high-explosive shells. A recurring topic in the book is the concept of developing a version of the Sherman armed with the British 17-pounder anti-tank gun, and the political and logistical complications that prevented an American 17-pounder Sherman from seeing massive deployment.[3]
M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65 is part of Osprey Publishing New Vanguard series, which covers the topics of armored vehicles, naval vessels, and artillery; and includes detailed illustrations related to the topic.[4] Zaloga uses line drawings, cutaway drawings, and illustrations to portray different examples of the Sherman tank. Photographs are used to show Shermans in the field. As a military technology enthusiast especially interested in engineering details, I enjoy seeing the detailed interiors of the tanks. I also appreciate how the statistics for penetration of different gun-ammunition combinations are presented for angled armor surfaces, as opposed to the use of maximum rolled homogeneous-armor penetration, which requires you to account for slope and distance, and can sometimes become misleading when presented on paper. The use of photographs also provides a glimpse of where and how the tanks were used, which will appeal to more general military or World War 2 enthusiasts.
Steven J. Zaloga has conducted extensive research on armored fighting vehicles, and is an author whose other books I have enjoyed. M4 (76mm) Sherman was no exception and lived up to my expectations. Zaloga is an expert in the field of military armaments and history, and is a military analyst. He has written numerous books on military history and technology.[5] As part of his research on armored vehicles, he has interviewed the designers of modern armored vehicles such as the M1 Abrams and the German Leopard II. He has also interviewed American tankers from World War 2 through Operation Desert Storm. Professionally, he has taught courses on armor and anti-armor technology for the Technology Training Corporation, and was part of a government think tank studying the development of Russian and Chinese armored vehicles.[6]
There are dozens of books written about the M4 Sherman. M4 (76mm) Sherman specifically deals with the models of the Sherman armed with the 76mm M1A1 gun. The same content except in a shorter length was presented in “The 76mm Gun Controversy” section of chapter 4 of Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II, also written by Steven J. Zaloga. Armored Thunderbolt provides a well-rounded view of the Sherman from all aspects. A book that provides a more complete coverage of the technical details of the M4 is the 576-page Sherman, A History of the American Medium Tank by R.P. Hunnicutt, which is described by Zaloga as “the best single book on Sherman development.”[7] Readers looking for a more comprehensive coverage of the U.S. Army tank program in World War 2 will want to read Armored Thunderbolt, as it provides details on not only the Sherman, but on the other programs that influenced the decisions made about the Sherman’s role, such as the M18 Hellcat. I found M4 (76mm) Sherman to be slightly more supportive of the effectiveness and necessity of the 76mm gun than Armored Thunderbolt. Interestingly, some of the passages in Armored Thunderbolt are directly copied from M4 (76mm) Sherman. Readers of books that are highly critical of the Sherman, such as Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II by Belton Cooper, may find that this book not critical enough of the Sherman tank.
M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65 is an ideal choice for a reader with a basic understanding of World War 2 armored warfare looking for a quick read. The book provides enough information to satisfy a reader with a fair amount of background knowledge in the Sherman tank, who wants to learn more about the program to upgun the Sherman. I would have preferred slightly more information on the 76mm Sherman against the Panther or the Tiger, such as a detailed account of an engagement. For an Osprey book, M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-75 presents an appropriate level of detail, however I prefer the much longer book, Armored Thunderbolt, because of its greater amount of information on the American tank program.
What does Zaloga conclude took so long to re-arm and deploy Sherman tanks with a more powerful gun? The answer to the first question is a combination of the need for a larger turret to accommodate the larger breech of the 76mm;[8] and the slow pace of army organization in allocating the 76mm tanks to units, which was the reason no 76mm M4 tanks landed at Normandy.[9] What did Zaloga present as reason for the improved but inadequate performance of the 76mm gun mounted on the Shermans? The mediocre performance of the 76mm gun can be traced to the early stages of its design; in the summer of 1942, in order to improve turret balance, the decision was made to shorten the barrel of the original T1 gun by 15 inches, which adversely affected muzzle velocity of the projectile. The resulting gun was designated M1A1. The M1A1 gun had inferior armor penetration compared to the T1, although at the time that was not a concern, as the 75mm was performing adequately and the M1A1 still possessed superior armor penetration to the 75mm.[10]
Sources
“New Vanguard” Osprey Publishing. Accessed September 29, 2018.https://ospreypublishing.com/store/military-history/series-books/new-vanguard.
“Steven J. Zaloga” Osprey Publishing. Accessed September 29, 2018. https://ospreypublishing.com/steven-j-zaloga.
Zaloga, Steven J. Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2008.
Zaloga, Steven J. M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003.
Footnotes
[1] Steven Zaloga. M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65. (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003), p.16-17.
[2] Ibid., 3-4.
[3] Steven Zaloga. M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65. (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003).
[4] “New Vanguard” Osprey Publishing. Accessed September 29, 2018. https://ospreypublishing.com/store/military-history/series-books/new-vanguard
[5] “Steven J. Zaloga” Osprey Publishing. Accessed September 29, 2018. https://ospreypublishing.com/steven-j-zaloga
[6] Steven Zaloga. Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II. (Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 2008), p. vi.
[7] Ibid., 353.
[8] Steven Zaloga. M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65. (Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003), p. 6.
[9] Ibid., 13.
[10] Ibid., 4-5.