The American Sherman tank is one of the most successful modifications of military equipment manufactured by the Allies during the Second World War. It is worth noting that it was used not only by the Americans themselves in their military operations against the Japanese and Germans, but also actively supplied to the Soviet Army under a lend-lease agreement.
The tank "Sherman" got its name in honor of one of the military leaders of the northerners during the civil war - W. Sherman. In design developments, this machine appeared first under the name T6, and then - M4 in various modifications. After the signing of the act of surrender with Japan, this tank remained in service for many years in many countries of the world, took part in the Korean War and numerous Arab-Israeli conflicts.
The United States entered the world war without any major modifications of medium tanks, which, as practice has shown, played a decisive role on the battlefields. The government set the task to correct this gap as soon as possible, however, a decent result was achieved only by the end of 1941. The T6, which after being launched into mass production became known as the M4, had a molded hull, and its weapons were located in a rotating tower, which increased maneuverability and control of the battlefield. It is important to note that the Sherman tank was much more economically advantageous for its predecessors, which in the face of huge losses was almost of primary importance. In total, over the years of the war, American industry produced over 49 thousand of these machines.
A review of the Sherman tank allows us to conclude that its layout fully met all the requirements of this period. The motor was located at the rear, while the transmission compartment was located at the front. The tower served as the basis for the fighting compartment, located almost in the geometric center of the machine. At the same time, the relatively high body can be attributed to the unconditional shortcomings of the tank, which turned it into an excellent target for the enemy. However, such a height was almost inevitable, since otherwise the huge aircraft engine that was installed here could not be hidden.
Tank "Sherman" possessed very decent weapons. If, when launching it in series, a 75 mm cannon, inherited from previous samples, was installed on the tower, then larger guns, including 105 mm howitzers, were already installed on subsequent models. In addition to the main gun, the tank (depending on version) also had a coaxial machine gun of a rifle caliber, and a heavy machine gun was located next to the commander’s hatch . In addition, later models began to be equipped with a smoke mortar and a Thompson submachine gun.
Tank "Sherman" can be safely attributed to one of the most reliable types of military equipment during the Second World War. From other similar models, such as the Soviet T-34 or German T-4, it was distinguished by a longer engine life, as well as an excellent transmission, which allowed the car to confidently maneuver both in the desert and on the road.