Difference between revisions of "M4A4 (SA50)"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_M4A4(SA50).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The ''' M4A4 (SA50) ''' is a Rank III French medium tank with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in [[Update 1.75 "La Résistance"]]. This tank is the equivalent to the British [[Sherman VC Firefly]], it trades of its top-mounted HMG and additional armour for a better main gun: the SA50 L/57 cannon, which is the same gun as the [[AMX-13]], providing an interesting perspective to what's coming next in terms of firepower. That being said, the rest of this tank is 100% Sherman, with all its good and bad. As of update 1.77, it is one of two vehicles based on the M4A4 Sherman, the other being the Sherman VC Firefly.
 +
 
 +
As with any Sherman design, this tank is quite iconic of this vehicle's family: tall profile, sloped frontal armour, front-mounted transmission, plane radial engine power station, rounded turret with complex gun mantlet, it has got it all. the only difference from purely American Sherman is its long gun featuring a muzzle-break.
 +
 
 +
'''Firepower:'''
 +
 
 +
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 Sherman, the French M4A4 SA50 does not have a stabilized gun, but what a gun it is ! This main armament performs a bit better than its British counter part, the [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder|QF 17-pounder]] as it has superior penetration rates at all ranges. With such a gun, sniping is an easy task as only [[Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf. D|early Panthers]] will be able to defeat it (they still have weak spots, thought).
 +
 
 +
With such firepower, there is also concerns: as said above, this gun is not stabilized, which makes target acquisition quite slow. This specific Sherman's main weakness being its lack of top-mounted MG, leaving it mostly vulnerable to strafing planes.
 +
 
 +
'''Armour:'''
 +
 
 +
With its sloped frontal armour, many low calibre shells will just bounce off the Sherman, any actual antitank gun you will face at this BR will easily go through this relatively thin armour at average combat ranges. Keep in mind not to linger too long is front of SPAAs as there is two very convenient flat plates in front of the driver and machine gunner. As for the turret, some angles may deflect shots but don't count on it. side and rear armour are vulnerable to anything bigger than HMG rounds since they are only 38 mm thick. In sum, this armour is there to provide occasional protection from poorly aimed shots and auto-cannon fire, but nothing more.
 +
 
 +
'''Mobility:'''
 +
 
 +
The Sherman chassis, with all its good and bad takes this tank around 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 the job.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
''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?''
+
<!--''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?''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
* Cast homogeneous armour (Transmission housing, Turret)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 50.8 mm (56°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 50.8 mm (0-64°) ''Transmission housing'' <br> 50.8 mm (3-19°) ''Driver’s hoods'' || 38.1 mm || 38.1 mm (21°) ''Top'' <br> 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 25.4 mm <br> 19.5 mm ''Borders''
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 76 mm (7-65°) ''Turret front'' <br> 63-100 mm (0-62°) ''Gun mantlet'' <br> 51 mm (0-80°) ''Protruding gun mantlet'' || 51 mm (0-68°) || 51 mm (3-68°) || 25.4 mm
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 63.5 mm || 25.4 mm
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, tracks are 20 mm thick.
 +
* Patches on the side hull are added armour of 25.4 mm thickness.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 31.5 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | 0.9 || colspan="1" | 51 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|46 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|713
 +
|878
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|407
 +
|460
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|20.79
 +
|25.60
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|11.86
 +
|13.41
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
−
''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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
{{main|SA50 (75 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[SA50 (75 mm)|75 mm SA50 L/57]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
 
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 62 || -10°/+25° || ±180° || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 14.28 || 19.80 || 24.0 || 26.60 || 28.20
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.4 || 22.60 || 24.00
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 9.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| POT-51A || APC || 168 || 163 || 140 || 110 || 95 || 82
 +
|-
 +
| 75mm HE || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
 +
|-
 +
| PCOT-51P || APCBC || 180 || 176 || 163 || 150 || 136 || 126
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| POT-51A || APC || 1,000 || 6.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || ° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| 75mm HE || HE || 753 || 6.2 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 675 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| PCOT-51P || APCBC || 1,000 || 6.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || ° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
===== [[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] =====
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
[[File:Ammoracks M4A4(SA50).png|right|thumbnail|[[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] of the M4A4 (SA50)|x250px]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |8th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''62''' || 57&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 51&nbsp;''(+11)'' || 42&nbsp;''(+20)'' || 33&nbsp;''(+29)'' || 13&nbsp;''(+49)'' || 9&nbsp;''(+53)'' || 5&nbsp;''(+57)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+63)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Upper Hull Empty: 33&nbsp;(+29)
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
''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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
{{main|Browning (7.62 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[Browning (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the battles ==
−
''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).''
+
<!--''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).''-->
 +
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 tanks line, with average mobility, sufficient armour and enjoyable firepower. Get into position, manage to avoid shots doing so and ensure any role an average tank could do: sniper, brawler, flanker, etc. More of that in the [[M4A4 (SA50)#Tactics| tactics section]].
 +
 
 +
With good overall characteristics, this vehicle can play many roles on the battlefield, here is some of them:
 +
 
 +
'''Brawler:'''
 +
 
 +
This tank has bad armour for the BR and you assume it. Using its good turret turning speed 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, only reaction time and situation awareness can save you. Make sure to surprise your enemies while avoiding being targeted yourself can grant you with a few kills. The most important thing about this tactic is to know when to pull off, as enemies will be aware of a rampaging Sherman in the area and will take advantage of it as soon as they got the opportunity. This is a high risk/high stakes game-play.
 +
 
 +
'''Sniper:'''
 +
 
 +
To be used in open maps, preferably against lower BR vehicles. Keeping a good distance from your enemie's gun, use your own cannon to penetrate them from any range. Even if your armour is not the best, it should block most incoming round, which have lost most of their energy from traveling for so long. Make sure to reposition every 2-3 shots as you may get spotted by a big gun. This tactic is even more effective when hulled-down: this tank has -10° of depression, make good use of them.
 +
 
 +
Use your imagination: any tactic that do not rely too much on armour is a good one when using this tank. Want to follow the team? No problem. Want to find a good ambush spot? Go for it.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''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".''
+
<!--''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".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* Good penetrating 75 mm gun, even better than the famous British [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder|QF 17-pounder]]
−
 
+
* -10 degrees of gun depression.
 +
* Better penetration and armour than the Sherman Firefly.
 +
* Sherman chassis, familiar to almost any tech tree.
 +
* Overall a good tank.
 +
* Clearly improves in all fields over the precedent [[M4A1_Sherman_France|French Sherman]].
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Not really good armour.
 +
* Lacks a 50 cal when compared to other Shermans.
 +
* Slower reload compared to the Sherman Firefly.
 +
* No smoke rounds.
 +
* Hull turning rate is bad.
 +
* Slow reverse speed.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''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.''
+
<!--''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.''-->
 +
===Israeli M4 Shermans===
 +
During the Cold War, the Israelis received stocks of [[Medium Tank M4 Sherman|M4 Sherman]] tanks to equip their armoured force. They were obtained from the British, French, and scrap yards across Europe.<ref name="ZalogaIsraeli">Zaloga 2008, "Chapter 11: Cold War Sherman"</ref> Their designations on the Shermans were based on their armaments, leading to names such as the ''Sherman M-1'' with the [[76 mm Gun M1|76 mm M1 gun]], the ''Sherman M-3'' with the [[75 mm Gun M3|75 mm M3 gun]], and the ''Sherman M-4'' with the [[105 mm Howitzer M2A1|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.<ref name="ShermanTankIsraeli">Jeeps_Guns_Tanks 2015, ''#34''</ref>
 +
 
 +
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.<ref name="ShermanTankIsraeli"/>
 +
 
 +
===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 [[M4A1 (FL10)|AMX-13 turret onto their M4 Shermans]], giving them their own usage of the 75 mm SA50 gun on the M4 Sherman tanks.<ref name="ZalogaIsraeli"/>
 +
 
 +
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 (1972)|AMX-30]] tank.<ref name="ShermanTankIsraeli"/> 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-55A|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.<ref name="ChadM-50">Chad 2011</ref> 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 I|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 ==
 
== Media ==
 
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
 
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
 +
 +
==References==
 +
<references />
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
<!--''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
−
''ETC.''
+
''ETC.''-->
 +
[https://warthunder.com/en/news/5186-development-m4a4-sa50-the-desert-warrior-en [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> M4A4 (SA50) - The Desert Warrior]
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''other literature.''
+
* ''other literature.''-->
 +
* Chad. "Palestinian Armor." Military In the Middle East. WordPress, 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 Dec. 2017. [https://milinme.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/palestinian-armor/ Website].
 +
* 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. [http://www.theshermantank.com/m50/israeli-shermans-the-most-powerful-shermans-ever-to-see-action/ Website].
 +
* Zaloga Steven. Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II Stackpole Books, 2008
 +
 
 +
{{French medium tanks}}

Revision as of 06:03, 20 October 2018

RANK 5 FRANCE
Somua SM PACK
M4A4 (SA50)
fr_m4a4_cn_75_50.png
M4A4 (SA50)
France flag.png France
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.0 5.0 5.0
Class:
Research:33 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:105 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage M4A4 (SA50).jpg


The M4A4 (SA50) is a Rank III French medium tank with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.75 "La Résistance". This tank is the equivalent to the British Sherman VC Firefly, it trades of its top-mounted HMG and additional armour for a better main gun: the SA50 L/57 cannon, which is the same gun as the AMX-13, providing an interesting perspective to what's coming next in terms of firepower. That being said, the rest of this tank is 100% Sherman, with all its good and bad. As of update 1.77, it is one of two vehicles based on the M4A4 Sherman, the other being the Sherman VC Firefly.

As with any Sherman design, this tank is quite iconic of this vehicle's family: tall profile, sloped frontal armour, front-mounted transmission, plane radial engine power station, rounded turret with complex gun mantlet, it has got it all. the only difference from purely American Sherman is its long gun featuring a muzzle-break.

Firepower:

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 Sherman, the French M4A4 SA50 does not have a stabilized gun, but what a gun it is ! This main armament performs a bit better than its British counter part, 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 defeat it (they still have weak spots, thought).

With such firepower, there is also concerns: as said above, this gun is not stabilized, which makes target acquisition quite slow. This specific Sherman's main weakness being its lack of top-mounted MG, leaving it mostly vulnerable to strafing planes.

Armour:

With its sloped frontal armour, many low calibre shells will just bounce off the Sherman, any actual antitank gun you will face at this BR will easily go through this relatively thin armour at average combat ranges. Keep in mind not to linger too long is front of SPAAs as there is two very convenient flat plates in front of the driver and machine gunner. As for the turret, some angles may deflect shots but don't count on it. side and rear armour are vulnerable to anything bigger than HMG rounds since they are only 38 mm thick. In sum, this armour is there to provide occasional protection from poorly aimed shots and auto-cannon fire, but nothing more.

Mobility:

The Sherman chassis, with all its good and bad takes this tank around 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 the job.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Transmission housing, Turret)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 50.8 mm (56°) Front glacis
50.8 mm (0-64°) Transmission housing
50.8 mm (3-19°) Driver’s hoods 		38.1 mm 38.1 mm (21°) Top
38.1 mm Bottom 		25.4 mm
19.5 mm Borders
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
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 63.5 mm 25.4 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • Patches on the side hull are added armour of 25.4 mm thickness.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
31.5 0.9 51 (AB)
46 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 713 878
Realistic/Simulator 407 460
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 20.79 25.60
Realistic/Simulator 11.86 13.41

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: SA50 (75 mm)
75 mm SA50 L/57
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
62 -10°/+25° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 14.28 19.80 24.0 26.60 28.20
Realistic 14.28 16.80 20.4 22.60 24.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
9.80 _.__ _.__ _.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
POT-51A APC 168 163 140 110 95 82
75mm HE HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
PCOT-51P APCBC 180 176 163 150 136 126
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
POT-51A APC 1,000 6.4 N/A N/A N/A ° 48° 63° 71°
75mm HE HE 753 6.2 0.4 0.1 675 +0° 79° 80° 81°
PCOT-51P APCBC 1,000 6.4 N/A N/A N/A ° 48° 63° 71°
Ammo racks
File:Ammoracks M4A4(SA50).png
x250px
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		7th
rack empty 		8th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
62 57 (+5) 51 (+11) 42 (+20) 33 (+29) 13 (+49) 9 (+53) 5 (+57) 1 (+63) No

Upper Hull Empty: 33 (+29)

Machine guns

Main article: Browning (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm M1919A4
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
3,000 (250) 500 N/A N/A

Usage in the 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 tanks line, with average mobility, sufficient armour and enjoyable firepower. Get into position, manage to avoid shots doing so and ensure any role an average tank could do: sniper, brawler, flanker, etc. More of that in the tactics section.

With good overall characteristics, this vehicle can play many roles on the battlefield, here is some of them:

Brawler:

This tank has bad armour for the BR and you assume it. Using its good turret turning speed 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, only reaction time and situation awareness can save you. Make sure to surprise your enemies while avoiding being targeted yourself can grant you with a few kills. The most important thing about this tactic is to know when to pull off, as enemies will be aware of a rampaging Sherman in the area and will take advantage of it as soon as they got the opportunity. This is a high risk/high stakes game-play.

Sniper:

To be used in open maps, preferably against lower BR vehicles. Keeping a good distance from your enemie's gun, use your own cannon to penetrate them from any range. Even if your armour is not the best, it should block most incoming round, which have lost most of their energy from traveling for so long. Make sure to reposition every 2-3 shots as you may get spotted by a big gun. This tactic is even more effective when hulled-down: this tank has -10° of depression, make good use of them.

Use your imagination: any tactic that do not rely too much on armour is a good one when using this tank. Want to follow the team? No problem. Want to find a good ambush spot? Go for it.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good penetrating 75 mm gun, even better than the famous British QF 17-pounder
  • -10 degrees of gun depression.
  • Better penetration and armour than the Sherman Firefly.
  • Sherman chassis, familiar to almost any tech tree.
  • Overall a good tank.
  • Clearly improves in all fields over the precedent French Sherman.

Cons:

  • Not really good armour.
  • Lacks a 50 cal when compared to other Shermans.
  • Slower reload compared to the Sherman Firefly.
  • No smoke rounds.
  • Hull turning rate is bad.
  • Slow reverse speed.

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.[1] 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.[2]

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.[2]

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.[1]

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.[2] 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.[3] 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

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Zaloga 2008, "Chapter 11: Cold War Sherman"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jeeps_Guns_Tanks 2015, #34
  3. ↑ Chad 2011

Read also

[Devblog] M4A4 (SA50) - The Desert Warrior

Sources

  • Chad. "Palestinian Armor." Military In the Middle East. WordPress, 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 Dec. 2017. Website.
  • 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.
  • Zaloga Steven. Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II Stackpole Books, 2008

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