M4
Contents
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.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour (Front, Side, Rear, Hull roof)
- Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 50.8 mm (56°) Front glacis 50.8 mm (12-56°) Transmission area 50.8 (13-20°) + 25.4 mm (35°) Protruding hatches |
38.1 mm 38.1 + 25.4 mm Appliqué addition |
38.1 mm (0-10°) Top 25.4 mm (33-64°) Bottom |
19.5 mm Sides 12.7 mm Engine deck and center |
| Turret | 76.2-88.9 mm (4-67°) Turret front 50.8 + 88.9 mm Gun mantlet |
50.8 mm (0-68°) | 50.8 mm (2-66°) | 25.4 mm |
| Armour | Sides | Roof | ||
| Cupola | 50.8 mm | 25.4 mm |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
- Front armour has two protruding areas for driver and co-driver hatches. These are weak points as they present a flat armour surface.
- Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
Mobility
Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.
Weaponry
Main weaponry
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: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. 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.
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.
Usage in the battles
In battle, try to use terrain as cover. Hull-down positions are especially strong in the M4 Sherman, as it has a good 10 degrees of gun depression. The gun mantlet and turret is reasonably strong, but avoiding shots is still the best strategy. In this respect, a hull-down position hides the vulnerable hull. If this is not available, then angling the hull armour to present a greater slope is often a good idea, as this can bounce some low-powered cannon at any range and at longer ranges, render the hull impenetrable.
Another way to play the M4 Sherman is to tap into its traditional cavalry role, its mobility. The M4 Sherman is a great flanker as it is fast enough to get the jump on the enemy's side. Defeat the enemy at their weak front lines or go around the entire enemy force. Once in position at their sides or rear, ambush them. Ideally, the enemy should be too busy focusing on allies attacking in the front to notice the M4 instantly. Take out the weaker light or medium tanks, the 75 mm gun is not very ideal against heavy tanks like the KV-1 so take out its friends to allow allies more room to outmaneuver the KV tank. An organized attack will increase the M4 chances on the battlefield and success.
The presence of a pivot-mounted .50 caliber machine gun gives the Sherman some flexibility. It can engage softer targets such as some tank destroyers and many SPAAGs at short ranges, when loading a HE shell would be inconvenient. While not ideal, they provide the Sherman tank some measure of protection against aircraft- sometimes enough to dissuade a pilot from making another pass. It can be an effective rang-finder for targets at longer ranges where the M1919 in the turret would be less effective. While it pales in comparison to the destructive effect of tank guns, it provides the Sherman some flexibility over other comparable vehicles, who are restricted to their rifle-caliber coaxial machine guns.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 75 mm gun can prove quite effective with a generally fast firing rate with adequate beyond-armour damage with the M61 round.
- Very mobile once accelerated to a certain speed.
- Front armour is very resilient and well-sloped with minimal weak spots.
- Pintle mounted HMG provides anti-aircraft defense.
- Jack of all trades; can accomplish most roles on the battlefield.
Cons:
- 75 mm gun may not prove the most penetrative weapon against its contemporaries.
- Front glacis has driver and co-driver hatch protruding from front armour, exposing some weak points.
- Weak side armour.
- Fuel tanks and ammunition stored in upper hull; penetrating shots are prone to setting these off.
- Ammunition is highlighted by bulges in the side armour.
- High profile makes it an easier target than most.
- Jack of all trades, but is thus not very specialized in any specific role.
Historical part
The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the M2 light tank and the M2 medium tank, both are inadequate against the German Panzer IIIs and the Panzer IVs. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap M3 Lee tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Western Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be produced.
During the M3 medium's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict in order to maximize logistical support. Restrictions were made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on naval ships. These specifications would help the Army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the T6, completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the Medium Tank M4 in American service. The tank would eventually become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lended out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British designated the M4 the "Sherman", which coined into the tank's name M4 Sherman that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the T-34 tank.
Media
An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.
Read also
Sources
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- page on the Wikipedia;
- other literature.
