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| − | {{Specs-Card|code=us_m4a3_105_sherman}}
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| | | | |
| − | == Description ==
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| − | <!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
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| − | [[File:GarageImage_M4A3(105).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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| − | {{break}}
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| − | The '''M4A3 (105) HVSS ''Sherman''''' is a Rank II American medium tank with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/SB) and 2.7 (RB). It is one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. Armed with a [[M4 (105 mm)|105 mm howitzer]] instead of the standard [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm cannon]], the howitzer grants the Sherman a much more powerful high-explosive shell to use against lightly-armoured enemies. When the HEAT round is unlocked for the cannon, its firepower against more heavily armoured vehicle increases substantially.
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| − |
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| − | == General info ==
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| − | === Survivability and armour ===
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| − | <!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
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| − |
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| − | ''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
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| − | '''Armour type:'''
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| − | *Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
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| − | *Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)
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| − | {| class="wikitable"
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| − | |-
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| − | ! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
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| − | |-
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| − | | Hull || 63.5 mm (47°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 63.5-107.9 mm (5-56°) ''Transmission area'' || 38.1 mm || 38.1 mm (22°) ''Top'' <br> 38.1 mm (13-44°) ''Bottom'' || 19.5 mm
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| − | |-
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| − | | Turret || 76.2 mm (3-67°) ''Turret front'' <br> 88.9 mm (3-86°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (2-69°) || 50.8 mm (2-66°) || 25.4 mm
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| − | |-
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| − | ! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
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| − | |-
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| − | | Cupola || 63.5 mm || 25.4 mm
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | '''Notes:'''
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| − | * Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
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| − | * Lower part of the hull ("beak") is 107.9 mm thick
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| − | * A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
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| − |
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| − | The M4A3 (105) has certain flaws that can be exploited quite well. First of all, the howitzer armament means that the shell travels in a low-velocity, meaning the M4A3 (105) will be unlikely to engage at a long distance. Another is the fact that the M4A3 (105)'s gun has a long reload and a slow traverse speed, meaning it is also not very good in a close-range encounter. Despite these flaws, the M4A3 (105) is a formidable foe with its armament. The HE and HEAT shell the 105 mm can dish out has a real possibility to knock out friendly crew and teammates, if not absolutely destroying light tanks. These high-explosives can also break tracks easily, causing the player tank to be immobilized and exposed not only to the M4A3 (105), but to the other enemies as well, and the M4A3 (105) will most likely not be alone.
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| − | To engage the M4A3 (105), try not to engage its frontal armour if in a tank with BR lower than 3.7. It's frontal armour, despite what most will say about the Sherman's armour, is quite formidable and can deflect most incoming enemy round from light and medium tanks. This is why it is recommended to bring high-velocity guns like the [[3-inch Gun M7|3-inch]] on the M10 or the [[7.5 cm KwK 40|long 75 mm]] on the later Panzer IV. If it can't be engaged from the front, maneuver to its side and rear armour, as these armour plates are extremely vulnerable to even 37 mm guns. When maneuvering around the M4A3 (105), try not to expose the tank for a prolonged time and move faster than the M4A3 (105)'s slow turret traverse rate (though beware that the M4A3 can compensate this slow turn by turning the entire body). If fast enough, a tank could also move past the 105 mm low-velocity shell and mess up the enemy's lead. This will eventually lead to a good shot on the M4A3's weak points. Another more simpler and less mobile way is to lie in wait in a tank destroyer such as the StuG III for the M4A3 to move right into the TD's line of fire, giving a clean shot to a vulnerable armour part. A good shot on a general part of the hull can ignite one of the many ammo racks strewn around the interior.
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| − |
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| − | === Mobility ===
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| − | <!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
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| − | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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| − | |-
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| − | !colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
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| − | |-
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| − | ! Weight (tons)
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| − | !colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
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| − | !colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
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| − | |-
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| − | |rowspan="2" | 31.7 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 46 (AB)
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| − | |-
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| − | |41 (RB/SB)
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| − | |-
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| − | !colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
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| − | |-
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| − | !colspan="1" | Mode
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| − | !Stock
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| − | !Upgraded
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| − | |-
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| − | |''Arcade''
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| − | |775
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| − | |954
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| − | |-
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| − | |''Realistic/Simulator''
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| − | |442
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| − | |500
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| − | |-
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| − | !colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
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| − | |-
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| − | !colspan="1" | Mode
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| − | !Stock
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| − | !Upgraded
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| − | |-
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| − | |''Arcade''
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| − | |24.45
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| − | |30.09
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| − | |-
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| − | |''Realistic/Simulator''
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| − | |13.94
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| − | |15.77
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − |
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| − | == Armaments ==
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| − | === Main armament ===
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| − | <!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
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| − | {{main|M4 (105 mm)}}
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| − |
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| − | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="6" | [[M4 (105 mm)|105 mm M4]]
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
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| − | ! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
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| − | ! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
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| − | |-
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| − | | colspan="4" | 66 || -10°/+35° || ±180°
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
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| − | |-
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| − | ! style="width:4em" |Mode
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| − | ! style="width:4em" |Stock
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| − | ! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
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| − | ! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
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| − | ! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
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| − | ! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
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| − | |-
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| − | | ''Arcade'' || 3.57 || 4.90 || 6.00 || 6.60 || 7.10
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| − | |-
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| − | | ''Realistic'' || 3.57 || 4.20 || 5.10 || 5.64 || 6.00
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
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| − | ! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
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| − | ! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
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| − | ! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
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| − | |-
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| − | | 13.0 || 11.5 || 10.6 || 10.0
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − |
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| − | ===== Ammunition =====
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| − | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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| − | ! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
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| − | |-
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| − | ! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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| − | ! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
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| − | ! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
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| − | |-
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| − | ! 10m
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| − | ! 100m
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| − | ! 500m
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| − | ! 1000m
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| − | ! 1500m
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| − | ! 2000m
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| − | |-
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| − | | M1 shell || HE || 26 || 26 || 26 || 26 || 26 || 26
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| − | |-
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| − | | M67 shot || HEAT || 130 || 130 || 130 || 130 || 130 || 130
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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| − | ! colspan="10" | Shell details
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| − | |-
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| − | ! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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| − | ! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
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| − | ! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
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| − | ! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
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| − | ''in m:''
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| − | ! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
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| − | ''in mm:''
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| − | ! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
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| − | ! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
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| − | ! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
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| − | |-
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| − | ! 0%
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| − | ! 50%
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| − | ! 100%
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| − | |-
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| − | | M1 shell || 472 || 15 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 2,180 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
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| − | |-
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| − | | M67 shot || 381 || 13 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 1,610 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 73°
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
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| − | ! colspan="7" | Smoke characteristic
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| − | |-
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| − | ! Ammunition
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| − | ! Velocity <br /> in m/s
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| − | ! Projectile<br />Mass in kg
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| − | ! ''Screen radius <br /> in m''
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| − | ! ''Screen time <br /> in s''
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| − | ! ''Screen hold time <br /> in s:''
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| − | ! ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
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| − | |-
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| − | | M84 || 457 || 15 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − |
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| − | ===== [[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] =====
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| − | [[File:Ammoracks_M4A3_105.png|thumbnail|right|Ammo racks layout of the M4A3 (105).|x250px]]
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| − | {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
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| − | |-
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| − | ! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br />ammo
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| − | ! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />rack empty
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| − | ! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />rack empty
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| − | ! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />rack empty
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| − | ! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />rack empty
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| − | ! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />rack empty
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| − | ! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br />discrepancy
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| − | |-
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| − | |'''66''' || 53 ''(+13)'' || 40 ''(+26)'' || 27 ''(+39)'' || 14 ''(+52)'' || 1 ''(+65)'' || style="text-align:center" |yes
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| − | |}
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| − |
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| − | === Machine guns ===
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| − | <!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
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| − | {{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|Browning (7.62 mm)}}
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| − |
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| − | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="7" | [[Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="7" | ''Pintle mount''
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
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| − | ! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
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| − | ! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
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| − | ! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
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| − | |-
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| − | | colspan="4" | 600 (200) || 576 || -10°/+30° || ±60°
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="7" | [[Browning (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
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| − | |-
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| − | ! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
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| − | ! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
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| − | ! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
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| − | ! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
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| − | |-
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| − | | colspan="4" | 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
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| − | |-
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| − | |}
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| − |
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| − | == Usage in the battles ==
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| − | <!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
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| − | This tank plays best as a support tank, stay with other tanks that have better side armour while using the relatively thick front armour to soak a few shots. Use the HEAT rounds to penetrate most armour of the M4A3 (105)'s rank and above, and remember that the M4A3 (105) is no brawler, so staying in the front line too close to hostiles will most likely spell a K.O. by ammo or crew. This tank gun has a very low velocity, so make sure to compensate for the large amount of drop
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| − | Having in mind the large caliber of this tank's main weapon, one can conclude that the HE shell (M1 shell) is big enough to dispatch some tanks. However, any armour larger than 28 mm won't let the explosion result in a penetration. So for firing at strong armour plates, the HEAT shell (M67 shot) is required. It should be top priority to research it. The HE shell will however be the most effective option whenever this Sherman's controller can find a suitably soft spot in the enemy vehicle's armour. Against soft vehicles, like most [[:Category:Anti-aircraft vehicles|SPAA]], the choice of ammunition for the main gun is fairly irrelevant, since a single shot should be enough to dispatch one of these, and remaining crew members can be taken down with one of the tank's [[Browning|Browning machine guns]], although HE is certainly the most effective at dishing out damage when armour is absent.
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| − | The HEAT round, unlike the HE one, has a tracer charge, which facilitates aiming. This is not critical, however, since the HE shell's sheer size allows for it to be seen without too much effort.
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| − |
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| − | ====Tactics====
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| − | <!--Specific methods of play in different situations, label the methods with pros and cons (if possible) based on vehicle's performances (i.e. Using the M22 Locust and getting close to target so gun depression cannot reach it.)-->
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| − | The M4A3 (105) HVSS Sherman is a support tank, not a front-line brawler. Its adequate armour protection and powerful gun put it on about the level of the [[3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10|M10 Tank Destroyer]], but it has certain flaws and qualities that makes it different than the usual Sherman tanks. Due to the 105 mm howitzer, knocking out enemy crew in lightly armoured vehicles is a piece of cake. Aim for the enemy tank's lower turret to cause the most damage possible with the HE shells, as the HE shrapnel can be deflected down onto the hull roof and mess up the enemy crew. The 105 mm HE could also be aimed at the enemy tracks to blow it off, immobilizing the enemy. If none of the HE shells do damage to the target (which shouldn't happen most of the time), a well placed HEAT shell, once unlocked, can easily set a tank aflame or blow up ammo stores. Don't get to close to enemy vehicles '''unless''' it is a limited traverse gun tank destroyer, in which case blow up its tracks with an HE that should do the trick.
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| − | A downfall(s) of the M4A3 (105) HVSS Sherman is its average mobility, slow turret traverse, and slow reload. Therefore, it is recommended to stick to allied tanks like glue, or rely on hit-and-run tactics. The low velocity makes long-range shots relatively difficult. Never stay in the sights of tanks such as the [[7.5 cm KwK 40|long-barrel 75 mm]] Panzer IV [[Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2|F2]]/[[Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G|G]], StuG III [[StuG III F|F]]/[[StuG III G|G]] or [[T-34 1942|T-34]]/[[KV-1 ZiS-5|KV-1]]. These tanks can penetrate the M4A3 (105) HVSS Sherman's front armour, some more easily than others. Try not to get hit in the rear area as it will set the tank on fire and immobilize it, putting it in an extremely disadvantageous situation.
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| − |
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| − | ===Modules===
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| − | ''Parts'', ''M67 shot'' and ''Fire system'' are key! Followed by all accuracy improvements, everything else is optional, but ''Artillery'' and all mobility upgrades are welcomed.
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| − |
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| − | === Pros and cons ===
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| − | <!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
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| − | '''Pros:'''
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| − | * Devastating against lightly armoured tanks.
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| − | * HE shells can cause serious damages even with a non-penetrating hit.
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| − | * HEAT shell option with approximately 100mm of penetration even at long range, making it able to take on even KV-1 tanks frontal armour. Additionally, HEAT shells have a high chance of causing hull breaks on lightly armoured foes.
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| − | * .50 cal machine gun on top can provide AA defense.
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| − | * Good mobility for travelling.
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| − | * HVSS suspension gives good cross-country mobility.
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| − | * Wide tracks makes it easier to brake at high speeds and climb steep mountains.
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| − | * Better sloped frontal armour that can withstand lots of punishment.
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| − | '''Cons:'''
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| − | * Inaccurate at long ranges due to large shell size and low muzzle velocity.
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| − | * Shell drops very fast, poor for long-distance fighting.
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| − | * Stock HE ineffective against even moderately armoured tanks.
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| − | * Often targeted due to the large 105 mm gun.
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| − | * Side and rear armour are very weak in comparison to the front.
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| − | * Very slow turret traverse rate, relies on turning hull to get gun onto targets away from turret front.
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| − | * Poor stationary turning ability combined with slow turret traverse makes flanking enemies a dangerous foe.
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| − | * Long reload of more than 10 seconds
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| − |
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| − | == History ==
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| − | <!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
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| − | The [[Medium Tank M4 Sherman|M4 Sherman]] were originally equipped with the 75mm M3 cannon. Though the 75mm was thought to be an overall effective gun, certain situations called for more destructive power. Enter the 105mm M4 Howitzer, a mountable artillery piece for a tank. The army decided to arm the Shermans with these artillery pieces for a radical increase in explosive power. The first of its model was a [[Medium Tank M4A2 Sherman|M4A2 Sherman]] with its turret mounting the formidable cannon in the M52 mount, these Shermans were designated '''M4(105)''' and were accepted into service in February 1944. Later, M4A3 Shermans were also being converted into 105mm with the name '''M4A3(105)''' When the HVSS was developed for the M4 Shermans by mean of the M4A3E8, the same was applied to the M4s with the 105mm because of its increased weight, so an improved suspension would increase mobility. These Shermans were then designated to '''M4(105) HVSS''' or '''M4A3(105) HVSS''' and remained that way to the end of the war. The 105 mm Shermans were produced by Chrysler Corporation at the Detroit Tank Arsenal. 800 M4(105) and 841 M4(105) HVSS were produced from February 1944 to March 1945, and 500 M4A3(105) and 2539 M4A3(105) HVSS were produced in May 1944 to June 1945. This brings a total of 4680 Shermans with the 105mm howitzer as its main armament during its production time.
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| − | After World War II ended, the M4A3E8 with the 76mm cannon and 105mm howitzer became the mainstay of the United States armoured forces as they were the most advanced version of the Shermans at the time. Despite its role as an bunker-buster weapon, the M4 (105) are also quite good tank killers. Documents show that the HEAT rounds fired from the 105mm has penetrated through a Panther's frontal armour, which could kill the crew. Even then, the sufficiently powerful high-explosive rounds could cause massive spalling inside tanks, harming the crew inside.
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| − |
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| − | == Media ==
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| − | <!--''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''-->
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| − | '''Skins'''
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| − | *[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23M4A3_105 #M4A3_105]
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| − | *[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23m4a3_105_hvss_sherman #m4a3_105_hvss_sherman]
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| − |
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| − | == Read also ==
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| − | <!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
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| − | * ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
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| − | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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| − | ''ETC.''-->
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| − |
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| − | [https://archive.org/details/FM17-76 [Manual<nowiki>]</nowiki> FM 17-76 - Crew Drill and Service of the Piece Medium Tank, M4 Series (105-mm Howitzer)]
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| − | == Sources ==
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| − | ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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| − | * ''topic on the official game forum;''
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| − | * ''other literature.''
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| − |
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| − | {{USA medium tanks}}
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