Sherman Ic

This page is about the Italian medium tank Sherman Ic. For other versions, see M4 Sherman (Family). For other uses, see M4 (Disambiguation).

Sherman Ic

▄Sherman V

▄Sherman Vc

Sherman Ic

▄Sherman V

▄Sherman Vc

Italy

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.7	4.7	4.7

Class:

Medium tank

Research:40 000

Purchase:135 000

Show in game

Description

The M4 Hybrid (Composito) Sherman IC Firefly is an up-gunned modification of the M4 Hybrid, which is the special combination of the first and second variants of the early-generation Medium Tank M4 (Sherman) family. The turret of the original M4A4 Sherman VC Firefly is directly mounted on an M4 Hybrid variant hull rather than the regular M4A4 variant hull, making it a very distinctive derivative of the M4A4 Sherman IC Firefly. This is a unique tank that served mostly with the Italian Army and is armed with the powerful 76 mm Ordnance QF 17-pounder tank gun. Due to the scarcity of historical information on this vehicle, it is unknown to what extent this unique derivation of the famed "firefly" truly engaged in World War II. Following the reconstruction of Italy in 1945, some M4 Hybrid (Composito) Sherman IC Firefly tanks were transported to the country and redesignated as M4 Tipo IC Composito. A minor military command for the territorial defence was founded in 1946, and the unit received numerous other M4 Sherman variants. They laid the groundwork for Italy's first post-war tanker training school. All M4 Sherman variants were formally decommissioned in 1952.

Introduced in Update 1.85 "Supersonic", the M4 Tipo IC Composito in the Italian Army ground forces is comparable to its British counterpart, as it was delivered by the British Army after World War II to aid in the reconstruction of Italy and the development of a territory defence force. The M4 Tipo IC Composito, armed with the renowned 76 mm Ordnance QF 17-pounder tank gun, will provide players with an extremely substantial increase in firepower above the early variants of the M4 Sherman used by the Italian Army ground forces, which were equipped with the 75 mm M3 tank gun. The M4 Tipo IC Composito, along with the M4A4 Sherman VC Firefly, will form the major backbone of the Italian Army's ground forces; however, it lacks access to armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) ammunition, which the latter has.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull63 / 38 / 38

Turret76 / 50 / 63

Crew5 people

Visibility108 %

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour (Hull Front, turret, turret cupola)
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides, rear and roof, add-on bustle, turret roof)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	50.8 mm (8-74°) Upper Glacis 50.8 mm (2-59°) Lower Glacis	38.1 mm Lower 50.8 Upper Front 38.1 Upper Rear	38.1 mm	50.8 mm Front 19.05 mm Rear
Turret	50 mm - 76.2 mm (Varying Angles) Turret Front 38.1 + 38.1 mm (cylindrical) Gun mantlet	50.8 mm	63.5 mm Original Bustle 63.5 mm Add-on Bustle	25.4 mm Crew Compartment 50.8 mm Original Bustle 25.4 mm Add-on Bustle
Cupola	50.8 mm			25.4 mm

Notes:

• 25.4 mm Plates Cover Portions of the Hull Sides
• Tracks - 20 mm
• Suspension - 10 to 15 mm
• Fenders - 10 mm
• Main Gun - 20 mm
• Machine Guns - 10 mm

The Sherman Ic has survivability similar to that of the American M4A1 Sherman. The armour is not strong for the battle rating and most enemies, save for SPAA, will go right through the front. If the tank is penetrated it is likely that at least two of the five crew will survive, depending on where the shot hits and how much HE filler it has. The gun breech is quite large, and it can often save the crew members on one side from the shrapnel of a penetration to the other side of the turret. Additionally, almost all the ammunition is stored in the hull floor, while a minority is stored in the turret basket; this means it is unlikely for the ammunition to explode under most circumstances. Despite these factors, almost every penetration will cause crippling damage - either immobilizing the tank or disabling the main gun, which allows the enemy to take a second finishing shot soon after. In summary, the survivability of the Sherman Ic is not to be relied upon as it will rarely survive two shots and will almost never bounce a shot. As such, you should plan your route in order to avoid frontal engagements with the enemy.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB43 / 6 km/h

RB and SB39 / 6 km/h

Number of gears5 forward

1 back

Weight31.5 t

Engine power

AB763 hp

RB and SB400 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB24.2 hp/t

RB and SB12.7 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	43	6	31.5	620	763	19.68	24.22
Realistic	39	6		354	400	11.24	12.7

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB1 505 → 2 036

RB1 774 → 2 400

SB2 199 → 2 975

Total cost of modifications35 000

68 000

Talisman cost1 300

Crew training39 000

Experts135 000

Aces550

Research Aces390 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

80 / 130 / 160 %

154 / 154 / 154 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 300 130 Suspension Research: 1 600 Cost: 3 100 120 Brake System Research: 1 600 Cost: 3 100 120 Filters Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 600 220 Transmission Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 500 175 Engine Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 500 175	Improved Parts Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 300 130 Improved FPE Research: 1 600 Cost: 3 100 120 Crew Replenishment Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 600 220	76mm_britain_17pdr_APC_ammo_pack Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 300 130 Horizontal Drive Research: 1 700 Cost: 3 300 130 76mm_britain_17pdr_APCBC_ammo_pack Research: 1 600 Cost: 3 100 120 Adjustment of Fire Research: 1 600 Cost: 3 100 120 Elevation Mechanism Research: 2 900 Cost: 5 600 220 Artillery Support Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 500 175 76mm_britain_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 500 175 Smoke grenade Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 500 175

Armaments

Main armament

76 mm QF 17-pounder cannon

Ammunition65 rounds

First-order5 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

7.6 → 5.9 s

Vertical guidance-5° / 25°

76 mm QF 17-pounder					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	65	-5°/+25°	±180°	N/A	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	7.67	6.79	6.25	5.90
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

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
Shot Mk.6	AP	171	168	155	139	126	113
Shell Mk.1	HE	20	20	18	16	15	13
Shot Mk.4	APC	171	168	155	139	126	113
Shot Mk.8	APCBC	190	187	172	155	140	126

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%
Shot Mk.6	AP	883	7.71	-	-	-	47°	60°	65°
Shell Mk.1	HE	883	6.98	0.2	0.1	580	79°	80°	81°
Shot Mk.4	APC	883	7.71	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°
Shot Mk.8	APCBC	883	7.71	-	-	-	48°	63°	71°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
17pdr Shell SS Mk.1	229	8.44	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Sherman Ic

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
65	46 (+19)	26 (+39)	6 (+59)	4 (+61)	1 (+64)	No

Note:

• Shells are modeled individually and disappear from the rack after having been shot or loaded.

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun

Ammunition800 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 15°

7.62 mm L3A1 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition5 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	800 (200)	577	-10°/+15°	±180°

The roof-mounted Browning .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft.

7.62 mm L3A1
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	5,000 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

The small calibre of the L3A1 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. A second hull-mounted .30 cal machine gun is modeled but not usable.

Usage in battles

The Sherman Ic is almost identical to the British Sherman Firefly, with minor cosmetic differences, an additional crew member, and a weaker overall gun mantlet. The player can be confidently rely on the mighty 17-pounder gun to effectively neutralize other tanks regardless of the angles (including the frontal armour of the Tiger or the T-34s). It excels at sniping from a distance and can also can spearhead an attack if needed.

Enemies worth noting:

R3 T20 FA-HS (AB):

This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and wipe out all your crew with its fast firing autocannon. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, and do not even angle your hull. Face your hull directly to the R3, because on each side of the cast hull, above the inducer wheel there is a triangular area that blends and connects the upper front plate to the side. By angling the hull, this triangle becomes unangled to the R3, making it easily penetrated, and the driver / gunner will usually get knocked out first. It is harder for the R3 to penetrate your unangled hull thus giving you more time to react and destroy it.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful British 17-pdr gun
• Has a .50 cal HMG for defence against aircraft
• Good mobility, as with all Shermans
• Cast hull does not have the thin armour weak spots of the M4A1

Cons:

• Armour can be penetrated by most enemies at its battle rating
• No HE filler in any of its AP shells, meaning that a shot either has to detonate the ammo rack of a target or generate enough spalling to take out the tank
• .50 cal machine gun can't elevate very high; can only engage low-flying aircraft
• Poor gun depression of only -5°

History

In Italian Service

Impression of an M4 Tipo IC on parade

The Firefly first saw action in Italy in British, American, and Polish hands in the Italian Campaign in 1944, but were ceased since heavy German armour proved to be a challenging opponent for the Firefly. After WW2, Italy was supplied with tanks by the US and UK, such as the Sherman Firefly (designated as M4 Tipo IC or M4 Tipo VC depending on the variant) and M24 Chaffee, which were commissioned in 1947. At that time, Italy created the first nucleus for the formation of a tankers school and on the 1st of October officially formed the Military School Organization.

The M4 Tipo ICs were decommissioned and scrapped in 1952.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Sherman Ic from live.warthunder.com.

Images

A British Firefly during the Normandy Campaign 1944

Videos

Lookback: Sherman Ic - Orangefan

Sherman Ic Composito, Italian, Tier-3, Medium Tank - Angry Nerd Gaming

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same gun & turret

• Sherman Firefly
• Sherman IC "Trzyniec"
• Sherman Vc (Italy)

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

• M4A1 (76) W
• M4A4 (SA50)

External links

References

Department of Tank Design
Medium Tanks
Sherman Firefly	Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"
MBTs
Centurion	Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Action X · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10
Challenger*	Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Tank Destroyers
Achilles	Achilles · Achilles (65 Rg.)
Centurion-based	Conway · FV4005
Export
Sherman Firefly	Sherman Ic · ▄Sherman Vc
Centurion	Centurion Mk.5/1 · Strv 81 · Strv 81 (RB 52) · ▄Strv 81 (RB 52) · Strv 101 · Strv 104** · Strv 105** · Sho't
See also	US Ordnance Department · Israeli Ordnance Corps · Vickers-Armstrongs Limited
	*By successor, the Military Vehicles and Engineering Establishment
	**Swedish modernizations incorporating innovations from the Israeli Sho't Kals.