The M4 Sherman was an American medium tank from the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1941, and serial production was carried out in the period 1942-1945. In total, about 49,000 copies of this tank of all versions were created, which makes it one of the most produced tanks of the Second World War and the most important tank in the equipment of the Allied armies during this conflict. The M4 Sherman was powered by a single engine version of the M4A1 Continental R 975 C4 with a power of 400 hp . The vehicle was armed with - depending on the version - a single 75mm M3 cannon or a 76mm M1 cannon or a 105mm M4 howitzer and two 7.62mm Browning1919A machine guns.
The M4 Sherman was developed as the successor to the M2 and M3 tanks, although it used many of the latter's components. First of all, it only used a slightly changed chassis of the M3 Lee car. When designing the M4 Sherman, the emphasis was primarily on playing the role of an infantry support vehicle, and not fighting enemy tanks - this was the role of American tank destroyers. Only possible clashes with the carts were assumed Pz.Kpfw III and Pz.Kpfw IV. A significant role was also played in the mass production of the new tank and the lowest possible production costs. The result was a tank with good armament for 1942 and early 1943, average armor, but with a tilted front plate, but also with poor maneuverability and - especially in the first versions - very susceptible to fire as a result of hitting the engine compartment . At the same time, however, a tank was created that could be truly large-scale production and had a significant modernization potential. Many development versions were created in the course of serial production M4 Sherman. Chronologically the first was the M4A1 version that already had a cast armor. Another - M4A2 - had welded armor and a new General Motors 6460 engine with 375-410hp, but much less prone to fire. A version of the M4A3 also appeared, armed with a 105 mm howitzer and powered by a Ford GAA engine with a capacity of 450 HP. Based on the M4A3 version, two sub-versions were created: the M4A3E2 Jumbo with reinforced armor and the M4A3E8 with the HVSS and 76mm gun. An interesting development version was also the T34 Calliope with mounted missiles not guided on the turret. The M4 Sherman was also supplied in huge numbers to the British and Red Army. The former developed a version of the Firefly based on it, with a great 17-pounder anti-tank gun. During World War II, M4 Sherman tanks fought in North Africa (1942-1943), Italy (1943-1945), during the battles in Normandy, France and West Germany (1944-1945), but also in the Pacific or in the ranks The Red Army on the Eastern Front. After World War II, the M4 Sherman was used in many countries, including Argentina, Belgium, India, Israel, Japan, Pakistan and Turkey. He also took part in many post-1945 conflicts, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Six-Day War of 1967.
Already after the first experiences of fighting in North Africa at the turn of 1942-1943, the US Army changed the position of the American infantry division. From 1943 onwards, each infantry division had three full-time infantry regiments, in turn composed of three infantry battalions. In addition, the infantry regiment also included other units, for example: an anti-tank company, an artillery company or a staff company. In total, the US Army's infantry regiment numbered approximately 3,100 soldiers. It should also be remembered that the division also included a strong artillery component consisting of four artillery battalions - 3 light and 1 medium, most often armed with 105 and 155 mm howitzers. There was also, among others, an engineering battalion, a repair company, a reconnaissance unit and a Military Police platoon. In total, the US Infantry Division numbered approximately 14,200 people from 1943. It quite clearly dominated the artillery over the German division and had much better and - above all - fully motorized means of transport, which made it a highly mobile tactical formation. It also had much richer "individual" anti-tank weapons in the form of a large number of bazooka launchers, of which there were over 500 in the entire division.