American Sherman M4A1 tank COBI 2715 - World War II

You know that:

• The M4 Sherman tank was produced in many versions from 1942 until 1945 in 6 different American and British factories.
• In addition to many modifications, the tank was also produced with a square (welded) or round (cast) hull. The crews preferred the cast version because they believed it was more resistant to enemy shells. This has never been independently verified.
• The last units were retired from the US Army in 1974.
• A total of 49,234 Shermans were produced in various versions.
• The tank had ammunition stored in water with glycol to reduce the risk of fire in the event of a hit.
• Only the Soviet Union produced more tanks, the T-34 model.
• Sherman tanks were also in the armament of the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade, consisting of young men who managed to escape the occupation.
• This armoured brigade relieved a British group at the siege of the fortified port of Dunkirk in August/September 1944.
• More than 4,000 pieces were also delivered to the Soviet Union as part of the relief effort.
• The tank was very popular with Red Army crews because of its high reliability. The T-34's steel tracks lasted approximately 2,500 km of driving, while the rubberized ones on the Sherman more than doubled that.
• However, even the Sherman had its weak points. The driver's hatch was so unfortunate to open that the gun barrel could hit it when the turret rotated, and you can imagine what happened when the 20 kg heavy hatch fell on the driver's head.

Technical parameters:

• length 6.2 m (7.5 m with cannon), width 2.9 m, height 2.9 m
• weight 30 200 kg
• frontal armour thickness up to 51 mm
• propulsion DOHCContinental R975-C1 298 kW gasoline engine
• 5 forward speeds + 1 reverse speed
• maximum speed 39 km/h
• range 160 km on the road
• wading distance 0.91 m
• main weapon L/55 M1A12 cannon of 76 mm calibre
• maximum fire range 13 716 m
• turret turn time 360° 15 seconds
• secondary weapon 1x 12.7 mm Browning M2MG machine gun + 2x 7.62 mm M1919A4 MG machine gun
• crew 5 persons

From the memoirs of the commander of the Soviet 46th Tank Brigade, Colonel Dmitri Fyodorovich Lozi:

"I have no words for that! The Shermans were beautiful, beautifully painted. The seats were very comfortable, covered in some kind of artificial leather. If there was an abandoned Sherman somewhere, within a few minutes the infantrymen would strip it of all its upholstery. They could make a fine pair of boots out of it."