thedrifter
11-30-03, 09:25 AM
Issue Date: May 6th, 2002
THE LORE OF THE CORPS: Sherman tank proved worth during the heat of battle
By Keith A. Milks
Special to the Times
At the height of its production during World War II, a Sherman medium tank rolled off the assembly line every 30 minutes. By the time production ended in 1944, nearly 50,000 Shermans were built, eclipsing acquisition levels of armored vehicles before or since.
The prototype M4 made its debut in September 1941 and the War Department immediately placed orders for full-scale production. Since the Sherman sported the same hull, engine, suspension and tracks as the earlier M3 Stuart light tank, a high production rate was reached because of existing manufacturing systems. Manufacturers built about 2,000 Shermans every month.
Six basic variants of the Sherman were built, with major differences in hull construction and weapons.
The Sherman weighed 32 tons and its armor ranged from 2 inches thick at the hull to a mantelet-armor thickness of 3.5 inches. It stood 9 feet tall from ground to turret and was 19 feet long and 8 feet, 6 inches wide.
Powered by a variety of diesel engines, the Sherman could achieve road speeds of up to 26 miles per hour (15 miles per hour off-road) and had a range of approximately 175 miles. There were four hatches in the Sherman through which a five-man crew could enter and exit the vehicle: two in the bow, one in the turret and an escape hatch in the tank’s deck.
One variant, the M4A2 Sherman III, was used exclusively by the Marine Corps and as an export to allied nations under the Lend Lease Act. A little more than 8,000 M4A2s were produced between April 1942 and May 1944.
The M4A2 had a 75 mm main gun and three machine guns: one .50-caliber anti-aircraft weapon and two .30-caliber machine guns, one located coaxially and the other in the bow. A gyrostabilizer helped increase accuracy of the main gun and elevation and azimuth controls meant the tank could serve in the self-propelled artillery role. Other than armament, the M4A2 was virtually identical to other Shermans.
The Marine Corps accepted delivery of its M4A2s in early 1943 and quickly deployed them to the Pacific. However, Marine commanders, inexperienced with armored warfare, were at a loss as to their tanks’ capabilities and limitations.
Marine M4A2s first saw combat during the invasion of Tarawa in November 1943 with near-disastrous results. Landing in the fifth wave, the company of 14 tanks, landing at different beaches, plowed ashore amid heavy Japanese fire. Five disappeared under the water, apparently swallowed by shell craters or sinkholes, though the rest made it ashore unscathed.
The tanks moved forward alone, without infantry support, and fell victim to Japanese gunners one by one. Soon, all but two of the 14 tanks were destroyed or disabled. The lesson of supporting the tanks with infantry was learned quickly.
Marines would take their M4A2s ashore on subsequent amphibious landings. The M4A2s proved adept at reducing Japanese defenses on islands such as Peleliu, Saipan and Okinawa.
The Marine Corps retained its Sherman M4A2s after World War II and phased them out just in time for the Korean War.
The writer is a gunnery sergeant deployed with the 22nd MEU. He can be reached at kambtp@aol.com.
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/archivepaper.php?f=0-MARINEPAPER-505926.php
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
THE LORE OF THE CORPS: Sherman tank proved worth during the heat of battle
By Keith A. Milks
Special to the Times
At the height of its production during World War II, a Sherman medium tank rolled off the assembly line every 30 minutes. By the time production ended in 1944, nearly 50,000 Shermans were built, eclipsing acquisition levels of armored vehicles before or since.
The prototype M4 made its debut in September 1941 and the War Department immediately placed orders for full-scale production. Since the Sherman sported the same hull, engine, suspension and tracks as the earlier M3 Stuart light tank, a high production rate was reached because of existing manufacturing systems. Manufacturers built about 2,000 Shermans every month.
Six basic variants of the Sherman were built, with major differences in hull construction and weapons.
The Sherman weighed 32 tons and its armor ranged from 2 inches thick at the hull to a mantelet-armor thickness of 3.5 inches. It stood 9 feet tall from ground to turret and was 19 feet long and 8 feet, 6 inches wide.
Powered by a variety of diesel engines, the Sherman could achieve road speeds of up to 26 miles per hour (15 miles per hour off-road) and had a range of approximately 175 miles. There were four hatches in the Sherman through which a five-man crew could enter and exit the vehicle: two in the bow, one in the turret and an escape hatch in the tank’s deck.
One variant, the M4A2 Sherman III, was used exclusively by the Marine Corps and as an export to allied nations under the Lend Lease Act. A little more than 8,000 M4A2s were produced between April 1942 and May 1944.
The M4A2 had a 75 mm main gun and three machine guns: one .50-caliber anti-aircraft weapon and two .30-caliber machine guns, one located coaxially and the other in the bow. A gyrostabilizer helped increase accuracy of the main gun and elevation and azimuth controls meant the tank could serve in the self-propelled artillery role. Other than armament, the M4A2 was virtually identical to other Shermans.
The Marine Corps accepted delivery of its M4A2s in early 1943 and quickly deployed them to the Pacific. However, Marine commanders, inexperienced with armored warfare, were at a loss as to their tanks’ capabilities and limitations.
Marine M4A2s first saw combat during the invasion of Tarawa in November 1943 with near-disastrous results. Landing in the fifth wave, the company of 14 tanks, landing at different beaches, plowed ashore amid heavy Japanese fire. Five disappeared under the water, apparently swallowed by shell craters or sinkholes, though the rest made it ashore unscathed.
The tanks moved forward alone, without infantry support, and fell victim to Japanese gunners one by one. Soon, all but two of the 14 tanks were destroyed or disabled. The lesson of supporting the tanks with infantry was learned quickly.
Marines would take their M4A2s ashore on subsequent amphibious landings. The M4A2s proved adept at reducing Japanese defenses on islands such as Peleliu, Saipan and Okinawa.
The Marine Corps retained its Sherman M4A2s after World War II and phased them out just in time for the Korean War.
The writer is a gunnery sergeant deployed with the 22nd MEU. He can be reached at kambtp@aol.com.
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/archivepaper.php?f=0-MARINEPAPER-505926.php
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: