M4A4 (SA50)

This page is about the French medium tank M4A4 (SA50). For other M4 Shermans, see M4 Sherman (Family). For other uses, see M4 (Disambiguation).

M4A4 (SA50)

▄M4A4

▄M26

M4A4 (SA50)

▄M4A4

▄M26

France

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.0	5.0	5.0

Class:

Medium tank

Research:33 000

Purchase:105 000

Show in game

Description

The M4A4 (SA50) Sherman is an up-gunned modification of the M4A4, which is the fifth variant of the early-generation Medium Tank M4 (Sherman) family. The M4A4 (SA50) is the result of a joint Israeli-French program in 1954 to enhance Israel's existing M4 Shermans with more firepower to confront the growing threat from neighbouring countries in the 1950s. An Israeli military delegation visited France in 1953 to see the then-new AMX-13/75 light tank, which was armed with the 75 mm SA50 L/57 tank gun. While the tank's main gun was assessed as adequate, its armour was deemed insufficient. The AMX-13 was eventually purchased by Israel, but in a parallel development, it was decided that the high-velocity 75 mm SA50 L/57 tank gun of the AMX-13s Israel purchased would be transferred to the more familiar and better-armoured hull of its M4 Sherman fleet, which was the standard tank family of the Israel Defense Force armoured units during the early 1950s. This project began in 1954, and an AMX-13 turret was transferred from France to Israel in 1955. In March 1956, Israeli Ordnance Corps military facilities began modifying their first 50 tanks of the M4A4 variant to be equipped with high-velocity 75 mm SA50 L/57 tank guns. The high-velocity 75 mm SA50 L/57 tank gun was known as the M-50 in Israel; hence, the up-gunned Sherman was dubbed the Sherman M-50 (but M4A4 (SA50) as the official designation).

Introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance", the M4A4 (SA50) has been significantly modified to provide far more firepower than the standard M4A4. The salvaged components of the 75 mm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 42 L/70 tank gun from destroyed German Panther medium tanks during the German conquest of France inspired the high-velocity 75 mm SA50 L/57 tank gun. However, when compared to the M4A1 (FL-10), another tank prototype constructed by the French for Egypt, which had an autoloader, the M4A4 (SA50) lacks an autoloader and consequently reloads much slower than the M4A1 (FL-10). Nonetheless, players are sure to appreciate this modification, and there will be few opponents on the battlefield that can withstand the high-velocity shots fired by the M4A4 (SA50). At this rank, however, the M4A4 hull protection is barely adequate; therefore, rather than playing aggressively, it is vital to choose strategic areas early in the battle to set an ambush for the enemies.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull63 / 38 / 38

Turret76 / 51 / 51

Crew5 people

Visibility122 %

With its sloped frontal armour, many low-calibre shells will just bounce off the Sherman, though any actual anti-tank gun you will face at this BR will easily go through this relatively thin armour at medium range. Keep in mind not to linger too long in front of SPAAs as there are two very convenient flat plates in front of the driver and machine gunner which can possibly be penetrated by AA's of the BR. As for the turret, some angles may deflect shots but don't count on it. Side and rear armour plates are vulnerable to anything bigger than HMG rounds since they are only 38 mm thick. In conclusion, this armour is there to provide occasional protection from poorly aimed shots and autocannon fire, but nothing more.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour (hull)
• Cast homogeneous armour (turret, gun mantlet, cupola, transmission carter, MG port)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	50.8 mm (56°) Front glacis 50.8 mm (8-17°) Viewports 34 + 25.4 mm (spherical) MG port 50.8 mm (3°) Radio antenna bulge 50.8 mm (cylindrical) Transmission housing	38.1 mm 38.1 + 25.4 mm Ammo racks	38.1 mm (21°) Top 38.1 mm Bottom	50.8 mm (34°) Front glacis 19.5 mm Centre 25.4 mm Centre - Turret base 25.4 mm (7°) Engine bay - centre 19.5 mm (23°) Engine bay - sides
Turret	76 mm (7-65°) Turret front 63-100 mm (0-62°) Gun mantlet 51 mm (0-80°) Protruding gun mantlet	51 mm (0-68°)	51 mm (3-68°)	25.4 mm
Cupola	63.5 mm (conical)			63.5 mm Outer ring 25.4 mm Centre

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, while bogies are 10 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB45 / 6 km/h

RB and SB41 / 5 km/h

Number of gears5 forward

1 back

Weight34.3 t

Engine power

AB763 hp

RB and SB400 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB22.2 hp/t

RB and SB11.7 hp/t

The Sherman chassis, with all its good and bad attributes carries this tank around on the battlefield. It will carry its user wherever it likes but it takes some time to do so; don't count on it for hasty retreats as both reverse speed and hull turning are slow when this tank is stopped. As long as it is not required to do back-flips and drifting, this chassis does it's job fairly well.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	45	6	34.3	620	763	18.08	22.24
Realistic	41	5		354	400	10.32	11.66

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB1 248 → 1 606

RB1 473 → 1 895

SB1 877 → 2 415

Total cost of modifications29 600

57 800

Talisman cost1 200

Crew training30 000

Experts105 000

Aces470

Research Aces360 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

80 / 120 / 140 %

148 / 148 / 148 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 900 135 Suspension Research: 1 300 Cost: 2 500 90 Brake System Research: 1 300 Cost: 2 500 90 Filters Research: 2 500 Cost: 4 900 170 Transmission Research: 3 200 Cost: 6 300 220 Engine Research: 3 200 Cost: 6 300 220	Improved Parts Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 900 135 Improved FPE Research: 1 300 Cost: 2 500 90 Crew Replenishment Research: 2 500 Cost: 4 900 170	Horizontal Drive Research: 2 000 Cost: 3 900 135 Adjustment of Fire Research: 1 300 Cost: 2 500 90 75mm_SA50_APCBC_ammo_pack Research: 1 300 Cost: 2 500 90 Elevation Mechanism Research: 2 500 Cost: 4 900 170 Artillery Support Research: 3 200 Cost: 6 300 220

Armaments

Main armament

75 mm SA50 L/57 cannon

Ammunition62 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

9.8 → 7.5 s

Vertical guidance-10° / 25°

75 mm SA50 L/57					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	62	-10°/+25°	±180°	N/A	22.9	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	9.75	8.62	7.95	7.50
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

The Sherman's turret was not made for such a huge gun. This is why this tank has an elongated mantlet: to provide space for the long SA50 L/57 cannon. Originally, this tank was provided with a vertical stabiliser but it was disabled with this new gun mount as the strain was too great for this piece. Thus, unlike most Shermans, the French M4A4 SA50 does not have a stabilized gun; this however is more than made up for by the egregious penetration rates of the high-velocity cannon. This main armament performs a bit better than its British counterpart, the QF 17-pounder, as it has superior penetration rates at all ranges. With such a gun, sniping is an easy task as only early Panthers will be able to bounce an incoming round (they still have weak spots, though).

With this great amount of firepower come some downsides however: it is not stabilized which makes target acquisition quite slow and the lack of explosive filler means that you will have to aim each shot to make it count. This specific Sherman's main weakness however is its lack of top-mounted MG, leaving it mostly vulnerable to strafing planes.

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
POT-51A	APBC	182	178	162	143	127	113
OE Mle 1951	HE	15	15	13	12	11	10
PCOT-51P	APCBC	202	198	180	159	141	125

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
POT-51A	APBC	1,000	6.4	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
OE Mle 1951	HE	753	6.2	0.2	0.1	675	79°	80°	81°
PCOT-51P	APCBC	1,000	6.4	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the M4A4 (SA50)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
62	56 (+6)	50 (+12)	41 (+21)	32 (+30)	16 (+46)	0 (+62)	No

Notes:

• Flank racks empty: 32 (+30) shells.
• As they are modeled by sets of 3 or 4, shells disappear from the rack only after you've fired all shells in the set.
• The top rows of all 4 floor racks deplete successively, followed by all bottom rows.

Machine guns

7.62 mm M1919A4 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition3 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

7.62 mm M1919A4
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	3,000 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

Experienced Sherman commanders will like this tank as it drastically increases this old boy's lethality. This tank is a very good representative of the medium tank line, with average mobility, sufficient armour and enjoyable firepower. Get into position, manage to avoid shots doing so and play any role an average tank can fit into: sniper, brawler, flanker, etc.

With good overall characteristics, this vehicle can play many roles on the battlefield. Here are some of them:

Brawler:

This tank has bad armour for the BR and the tank gives that away very clearly. Using its good turret traverse rate and close-quarter penetration rates, it should blast through almost anything it looks at. This tactic is very efficient in urban combat, where long range precision shots are not required. Do note that only reaction time and situation awareness can save you, as any main gun will make short work of you. Make sure to surprise your enemies while you avoid being targeted yourself. This tactic can deliver you some points if executed well. The most important thing about this tactic is to know when to hold back, as enemies will be aware of a rampaging Sherman in the area and will take advantage of it as soon as they get the opportunity. This is a high risk/high reward type of playstyle.

Sniper:

This scenario is the most advantagious for the M4A4 (SA50) because the vehicle is very suited to open maps. It can easily dominate the field (especially against tanks of a lower BR) when you employ the right tactics; keep a good distance from your enemy and use your own cannon to penetrate them from any range. Even if your armour is not the best, it should block most incoming rounds which will have lost most of their penetration power at those ranges. Make sure to reposition your vehicle after every 2-3 shots as you may get spotted by a tank destroyer, which is one of the few dangerous foes even on longer ranges. This tactic is even more effective when you are in a hull-down position: unlike Soviet vehicles, this tank has -10° of depression which you can make good use of.

Use your imagination: any tactic that doesn't rely on your armour is effective with the M4A4 (SA50). Supporting your teammates, ambushing oblivious enemies, many tactics are effective with this versatile tank.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent 75 mm gun, arguably better than the legendary 17-pounder due to the penetration and accuracy of the gun
• Outstanding penetration on the default APCBC at all ranges
• Unlike the Sherman Firefly, the SA50 gets 10 degrees of gun depression. Makes cresting ridgelines a good tactic
• Set of optics with 7.5x magnification
• The gun mantlet is both large and V-shaped. Can reliably stop or bounce incoming fire
• Due to all the pros listed above, the SA50 is one of the best pound-for-pound snipers and ridgeline shooters in the game

Cons:

• Bad overall armour layout: doesn't have any add-on tracks lining the sides like the Firefly
• Doesn't have access to any shells with explosive filler
• Higher-than-average reload time for the battle rating
• Lacklustre stock mobility
• Gun-laying is slow and unstable when breaking or moving
• No roof mounted .50 cal HMG like on other Shermans at the same BR

History

Israeli M4 Shermans

During the Cold War, the Israelis received stocks of M4 Sherman tanks to equip their armoured force. They were obtained from the British, French, and scrap yards across Europe. Their designations on the Shermans were based on their armaments, leading to names such as the Sherman M-1 with the 76 mm M1 gun, the Sherman M-3 with the 75 mm M3 gun, and the Sherman M-4 with the 105 mm M4 howitzer, regardless of Sherman hull and engine model types. Sherman tanks equipped with the horizontal volute suspension system (HVSS) were given the added name "Super" in the designation.

The M4 Shermans were seen as adequate in the early 1950s conflicts, but the Soviet arms trade with the neighboring Arab countries in the 1950s caused the Israelis to focus on uparming their existing Sherman inventory. Their program was a 1954 joint venture with France to arm the Sherman with the 75 mm SA50 gun from the AMX-13 light tank. The modifications to hold the 75 mm SA50 gun required the extension of the Sherman turret front and rear to make room for the gun and add a counterweight for the heavier front weight. With the success of this modification, the Israelis chose the 75 mm SA50 gun to be the new armament for the M4 Sherman inventory. The first fifty tanks with the 75 mm SA50 guns were added into a M4A4 Sherman hull converted to use a R975 radial engine by the French, these tanks designated as the M-50 Sherman by Israel. These used a vertical-volute suspension system (VVSS), but the added weight of the gun inhibited the M-50's flotation and mobility, so this was shifted to use the HVSS and the Cummins diesel engine. These two variants are distinguished by engine type as the M-50 Continental and the M-50 Cummins. Other hulls outside the M4A4 were also used in the conversions.

Combat usage

The M-50 Sherman was used by Israeli during the 1956 Suez Crisis and the 1967 Six-Day War. The 1956 Suez Crisis against Egypt was a curious case as the Egyptians also send their M4 Sherman inventory through a similar uparm program by adding the AMX-13 turret onto their M4 Shermans, giving them their own usage of the 75 mm SA50 gun on the M4 Sherman tanks.

Its use in the 1967 war was interleaved with the more powerful M-51 Sherman, a similar upgun program with the French 105 mm Modèle F1 from the AMX-30 tank. Though the early M-50 Continentals were retired by 1972, the the M-50 Cummins and M-51 served together up until the early 1980s, having to fight more modern Soviet tanks such as the T-54/55 tanks in the 1973 Yom-Kippur War. The Israeli gave away several of the M-50 Shermans to Lebanon to aid supporting militia groups in the Lebanese Civil War, in this conflict two were captured by Palestine, which they used against during the 1982 Lebanon War. About 50 M-50 were given to Chile in late 1980s, rearmed with an IMI-OTO 60 mm Hyper Velocity Medium Support gun, which they used until 1999 when they replaced them with the Leopard 1 tanks. The Israelis cleared their stocks of M-50 and M-51 by this time, sold to collections, used as range targets, or repurposed to other usage such as engineer vehicles.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the M4A4 (SA50) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

M4A4 (SA50), French, Tier-3, Medium Tank / Israeli M50 Mk.I - Angry Nerd Gaming

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

• M4 Sherman (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] M4A4 (SA50) - The Desert Warrior
• [Wikipedia] Super Sherman
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] M-50

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Chad. "Palestinian Armor." Military In the Middle East. WordPress, 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 Dec. 2017. Website (Archive).
• Jeeps_Guns_Tanks. "#34 Israeli Shermans: The Most Powerful Shermans Ever To See Action." The Sherman Tank Site. WordPress, 20 Dec. 2015. Web. 30 Dec. 2017. Website (Archive).
• Zaloga Steven. Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II Stackpole Books, 2008