The M4 Sherman is an American medium tank of World War II. The first prototypes were built in 1941, and serial production was carried out in the period 1942-1945. A total of about 49,000 examples of this tank of all versions were built, making it one of the most produced tanks of the Second World War and the most important tank in service with the Allied armies during this conflict. The M4 Sherman was equipped with a single-engine version of the M4A1 Continental R 975 C4 with a capacity of 400 hp. The machine was armed - depending on the version - with one 75mm M3 gun or 76mm M1 gun or 105mm M4 howitzer and two 7.62mm Browning1919A machine guns. The M4 Sherman was designed as a successor to the M2 and M3 tanks, although it used many components from the latter. First, it used only a slightly modified chassis of the M3 Lee car. When designing the M4 Sherman, emphasis was placed primarily on the role of an infantry support machine, and not on the fight against enemy tanks - this was the role of American tank destroyers. Only possible skirmishes with carts were foreseen Pz.Kpfw III and Pz.Kpfw IV. Mass production of the new tank and the lowest possible production costs also played a significant role. The result was a tank with good armament for 1942 and early 1943, medium armor, but with an inclined front sheet, 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 serial and had significant potential for modernization. During the series production of the M4 Sherman, many experimental versions were created. Chronologically, the first version was the M4A1, which already had cast armor. The other, the M4A2, had welded armor and a new General Motors 6460 engine with a capacity of 375-410 hp, but much less fireproof. There was also a version of the M4A3, armed with a 105-mm howitzer and equipped with a 450-horsepower Ford GAA engine. Based on the M4A3 version, two sub-versions were created: the M4A3E2 Jumbo with reinforced armor and the M4A3E8 with HVSS and a 76 mm gun. An interesting version of the development was also the T34 Calliope with installed missiles without guidance on the tower. The M4 Sherman was also supplied in large numbers to the British and Red Army. The former developed a version of the Firefly based on it with an excellent 17-pounder anti-tank gun. During World War II, M4 Sherman tanks fought in North Africa (1942-1943), Italy (1943-1945), during the battles of Normandy, France and West Germany (1944-1945), as well as in the Pacific Ocean or in formation. 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. It also participated in many conflicts after 1945, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Six Day War of 1967.
