Israel became the largest post-war user of Sherman tanks, conducting extensive modifications to keep them in front line service right up into the early 1970s as tanks, mobile artillery pieces, armored ambulances and more. Extensive work on creating mine clearance devices to be attached to Shermans or out of Shermans in some fashion was also conducted up until the end of the Second World War.Īfter the end of the Second World War the thousands upon thousands of surviving Shermans were shipped the world over, but primarily to South America and the Middle East. More radical variants followed, first with experiments with flotation screens in preparation for the invasion of Europe by Allied forces in 1944, and later by the addition of rocket launching equipment mounted on the turret. Turning earlier variants of the Sherman into Armored Personnel Carriers or "Kangaroos" was also common, as was turning them into recovery vehicles. Similar modification of the main armament would be done by the British who received a number of Shermans during the course of the war. Improving the vehicles mobility, protection, and creating specific variants for infantry support roles soon followed. Theories of what vehicles were supposed to be engaging enemy tanks changed as vehicles like the Shermans often found themselves up against enemy armor, some of the most important initial changes centered around upgunning the basic vehicle. Taking on enemy tanks were the job of purpose-built tank destroyers, and the wide array of special duties that a tank could be used for were just being explored by armies around the world in the early 1940s. The medium tank's job was to assist infantry in the assault and provide a base of fire to fight from. When the Sherman Tank was initially created it was designed around US theory about how medium tanks, and full-track armored vehicles in general, should be utilized on the battlefield. For a broader article on the history of the M4, see M4 Sherman. The following is an extensive catalogue of the variants and specific unique elements of each variant and/or design stage of the M4 Sherman tank.
0 kommentar(er)
