Lend-Lease Sherman Tanks

Sherman V tank crew, Troopers Holstrom, Lardner and Mitchell on the Sherman Command tank nicknamed "Clanky" of Captain David V. Currie VC, C Sqn, South Alberta Regiment, 4th Armoured Division, south of Vaucelles near Caen (Calvados, Basse-Normandie, France, 28 July 1944. "Clanky" was lost in action at Bergen-op-Zoom, Holland, but all the crewmen survived the war.

The United States provided tens of thousands of its Medium Tank M4, also named the Sherman, to many of its Allies during the Second World War, under the terms of Lend-Lease.

International Distribution

This chart shows Lend-Lease shipments to major recipients through 1 September 1945; subsequent transfers between countries within theaters of operations (i.e., from the United Kingdom to Poland or Canada, or the United States to Free France or China) after initial shipment are not included.

Lend-Lease Shipments of Sherman Tanks
Variant	United Kingdom	Soviet Union	Other (Canada, Brazil, Free France)	Total
M4 (75 mm)	2,096		53 (to Brazil)	2,149
M4 (105 mm)	593			593
M4A1 (75 mm)	942		4 (to Canada)	946
M4A1 (76 mm)	1,330			1,330
M4A2 (75 mm)	5,041	1,990	382 (to Free France)	7,413
M4A2 (76 mm)	5	2,073		2,078
M4A3 (75 mm)	7			7
M4A4 (75 mm)	7,167	2	274 (to Free France)	7,443
Total	17,181	4,065	713	21,959

British Nomenclature

The British received far more M4 medium tanks, 17,181 (roughly 34% of all M4s produced), than any other Allied nation. The British practice of naming American tanks after American Civil War generals was continued, giving it the name Sherman after Union General William Tecumseh Sherman. The US later adopted the name and the practice of naming tanks after generals and initially used the full name "General Sherman".

In the British naming system, the major variants were identified by Mark numbers, the M4 being "Sherman I", the M4A1 "Sherman II" and so on. Letters after the mark number denoted modifications to the base model: "A" for the 76 mm L/55 gun instead of the 75mm, "B" for the 105 mm M4 L/22.5 howitzer, "C" for the British 76.2 mm QF 17-pounder gun, and "Y" for the later wider-tracked Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS) type suspension. Gun and suspension letters were used in combination, e.g. Sherman IBY. However, not every combination appeared, e.g. no production 75mm Shermans were built with HVSS and hence no HVSS 17pdr conversions - which would have been designated "CY" - therefore existed. HVSS Shermans were only fitted with 76mm M1 guns or 105mm M4 howitzers, AY and BY respectively in British service.

Sherman I: M4 with 75 mm M3 L/40 gun and Continental R975 9-cylinder radial petrol engine

Sherman Hybrid I: Sherman I with composite hull (cast front, welded rear)

Sherman IB: Sherman I with 105 mm M4 L/22.5 howitzer

Sherman IBY: Sherman IB with HVSS

Sherman II: M4A1 with 75 mm M3 L/40 gun and Continental R975 radial petrol engine

Sherman IIA: M4A1(76)W, Sherman II with 76 mm M1 L/55 gun

Sherman IIAY: M4A1(76)W HVSS, Sherman IIA with HVSS

Sherman III: M4A2 with 75 mm M3 L/40 gun and GM6046 twin 6-cylinder diesel engine

Sherman IIIA: M4A2(76)W, Sherman III with 76 mm M1A2 L/55 gun (unlikely to have been used by UK troops)

Sherman IIIAY: M4A2(76)W HVSS, Sherman IIIA with HVSS (not used operationally by UK troops)

Sherman IV: M4A3 with 75 mm M3 L/40 gun (no Sherman IVs used operationally) and Ford GAA V8 petrol engine

Sherman IVA: M4A3(76)W, Sherman IV with 76 mm M1A2 L/55 gun

Sherman IVB: M4A3(105), Sherman IV with 105 mm M4 L/22.5 howitzer

Sherman IVBY: M4A3(105) HVSS, Sherman IVB with HVSS

Sherman V: M4A4 with 75 mm M3 L/40 gun and Chrysler A57 multibank 30-cylinder "cloverleaf" petrol engine in a longer rear hull with more widely spaced bogies

Sherman VI: M4A5 (paper designation for Canadian production)

Sherman VII: M4A6 with 75 mm M3 L/40 gun, composite cast/welded hull and Ordnance RD-1820 9-cylinder radial diesel engine. Only 75 M4A6 were built and none are believed to have reached the UK

Sherman II ARV III: M32B1 TRV (M4A1 Sherman II chassis) recovery vehicle

Sherman V ARV III: M32B4 TRV (M4A4 Sherman V chassis) recovery vehicle. Extremely rare, almost mythical, vehicle. Production records are sketchy and British use is uncertain, but a photo does exist of an M32B4 in post-war Greek service

Allied Variants

Conversions and modifications of the M4 by their foreign users included the British-Commonwealth Firefly with the potent British QF 17 pounder (76.2 mm) anti-tank gun; Adder, Salamander, Crocodile, and Badger flame-throwing Shermans; Kangaroo armored personnel carrier; Armored recovery vehicles (ARV); artillery tractors, and the specialist military engineering vehicles of "Hobart's Funnies" designed specifically for Operation Overlord ("D-Day") and the Battle of Normandy. In 1945, the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards at the Rhine fitted Sherman turrets with two "60 lb" RP-3 air-to-ground rockets on rails to create the Sherman Tulip. Canada created a prototype anti-aircraft vehicle with four 20 mm Polsten cannons mounted in a turret on Canadian-made M4A1 hull, which was called Skink. The Soviets reportedly replaced the US 75 mm gun on some M4A2s with the 76.2mm F-34 gun of the T-34 medium tank to create the M4M; they discontinued the practice when assured of US ammunition supply. For the Normandy landings, the British developed special and specific deep wading kits for Shermans I/II, III and V. US forces in the Pacific suffered many drowned M4s by not having such kits early in the island landing campaigns, and they were rapidly copied for later landings.

Conversions

A number of Sherman tanks were converted to carry different armament or fill different roles than those for which the tank was originally manufactured. Among these were:

Tank AA, 20 mm Quad, Skink: Canadian prototype anti-aircraft vehicle with four 20 mm Polsten cannon mounted in a turret on a Grizzly hull (tank made in Canada, not Lend-Leased).

Sherman Duplex Drive (DD): British-developed swimming gear fitted to British, Canadian, and US Shermans for the Normandy landings.

Sherman 17pdr aka "Firefly": British Sherman I or V re-armed with QF 17 pounder (76.2 mm) anti-tank gun with C added to designation (as in Sherman IC or VC). A few Sherman IIIC are believed to have existed, issued to units equipped with standard Sherman III for mechanical commonality: Aberdeen Proving Ground in the USA has one. Post-war the "Firefly" name is commonly used to refer to these vehicles, but it was not an official name and not commonly used during the war.

Sherman Tulip: British Sherman with two 3-inch ("60lb") RP-3 rockets on rails added to the turret. Used by the 1st Coldstream Guards at the Rhine in 1945.

RMASG "Control Tank": Sherman V tanks allocated to the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group for the D-Day landings were fitted with a dial sight in a protruding square cover on the top right of the turret. This permitted them to be used accurately in the indirect fire role as self-propelled artillery, initially from the decks of landing craft but later also ashore. Direct fire sights were retained. These tanks can be identified in photos by the 360-degree compass bearing markings around the turret.

Combat Engineering Vehicles

British developments for Shermans were extensive and included the fascine carrier (used by 79th Armoured Division), "Crib", "Twaby Ark", "Octopus",

Sherman Bridgelayer:

"Plymouth" carrying Bailey bridge

Sherman AVRE with Small Box Girder bridge

Sherman CIRD: fitted with "Canadian Indestructible Roller Device" landmine exploder

Sherman Crab: British Sherman with mine flail, one of a long line of flail devices

Recovery Vehicles

Sherman ARV I and Sherman ARV II – British armored recovery vehicle conversions of Sherman I, III and V. It was British policy to have ARVs using the same mechanical parts as the gun tanks they supported wherever possible. ARV I was a simple turretless towing vehicle with light jib while ARV II had much more sophisticated recovery and repair equipment, a raised box-like superstructure and heavier jib. It was considered superior to the US M32 ARV, very few of which were used by British units.

Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle (BARV) – British conversion of Sherman III with large boat-shaped superstructure that was capable of deep wading near the shore. A simple push/pull ARV that served until replaced by Centurion BARV in the mid-1960s. The diesel-engined Sherman III was considered less likely to be affected by the wet environment than petrol-engined versions.

Artillery

Sherman Gun Tractor – British field conversion in Italy by removing turrets from M4A2 Sherman III tanks to tow 17 pdr AT gun and carry crew with ammunition. Some of the removed 75mm M3 guns may have been used for the Churchill NA75 field conversions unique to the Italian campaign.

Sherman Observation Post – an armored mobile post for controlling artillery. The 75 mm gun was removed (with a dummy barrel fitted outside) to give room for map tables in the turret. Three radio sets were fitted (two Number 19 and a Number 18). Two more – both Number 38 – were carried for portable use outside the tank.

Personnel Carriers

Sherman Kangaroo – Canadian Sherman converted into "Kangaroo" armored personnel carrier

Flame Tanks

Sherman Adder – A conversion kit to equip Sherman tanks, used in India on Sherman III and Sherman V

Sherman Badger – Canada's replacement of its Ram Badger, the Sherman Badger was a turretless M4A2 HVSS Sherman with Wasp IIC flamethrower in place of hull machine gun, developed sometime from 1945 to 1949. The 150 imp gal (680 L) at 250 psi (17 bar) was effective to 125 yd (114 m), with elevation of +30 to −10 degrees and traverse of 30 degrees left and 23 degrees right. This inspired the US T68.

Service History

United Kingdom

The British Empire received 17,184 Sherman tanks from the USA under Lend-Lease, roughly 78% of all American Shermans provided worldwide under this program. This includes Sherman tanks used by all members of the British Dominions and Empire and those Allies who were equipped by the UK, such as the Polish Armed Forces in the West. The first M4A1 Sherman II received by the UK was equipped with two driver-operated fixed mount machine-guns in the hull front and carried the shorter M2 75mm tank gun with a counterweight. The two extra hull machine-guns were a standard feature of very early Shermans, carried over from the previous M3 Medium (Lee/Grant) tank, and were one of the first elements to be discarded from the original plan. Bovington Tank Museum has an example of this build-standard, the very first Sherman tank supplied to the UK under Lend-Lease and named "Michael". The British became the primary users of the M4A4 Sherman V, which they found to be far more reliable than did the few US users (mainly for testing within the continental USA). M4 Sherman I, M4A1 Sherman II and M4A2 Sherman III were also used in (roughly) that order of importance. Free Polish and Czechoslovak government-in-exile armored units supported and equipped by the British had M4A1s, M4A2s and some M4A4s.

Some Shermans in British service were also converted to specialist-type combat engineering vehicles. The Sherman Crab was the main conversion, which was designed to be used for clearing minefields in northwestern Europe and Italy. The Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle was a waterproofed armored recovery vehicle produced in small numbers and used only in support of beach-landings to pull drowned tanks and vehicles from the water and to push off stuck or beached landing-craft.

North Africa

The first Shermans to see battle in World War II were M4A1s (Sherman IIs) with the British Eighth Army at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. The tanks had been supplied in a hurry from the US, which had removed them from their own army units. They were then hastily modified to meet British military requirements and for desert and hot-weather conditions, such as the addition of sand shields over the tracks. Over 250 of these US-supplied Shermans, which were divided among 12 regiments, participated in the battle. They formed the so-called "heavy squadrons" (16 tanks in each) of one brigade in each division of X Corps and some other squadrons of the other units taking part in the battle, with the other heavy squadrons still being equipped with M3 Lee/Grant tanks and light squadrons possessing M3 Stuart light tanks and Crusader cruiser tanks. The British Shermans were able to tackle enemy rearguard units and defending troops by using high-explosive (HE) shells which were fired indirectly at them whilst the German 5 cm Pak 38 anti-tank gun was only effective against the Sherman if it could engage it from the more-vulnerable sides. More of the British armored units in North Africa were converted to increasingly-larger quantities of Shermans over time from their successful outcome at El Alamein, including the addition of Sherman IIIs (M4A2s) aside from the previous Sherman II, although the infantry tank units retained use of their Churchill tanks.

Italy

The British forces in Italy did not use their standard cruiser tanks (such as the Crusader). Instead, in their place, they used Shermans and turretless and regular gun-tank Stuart tanks to equip their reconnaissance troops. The other tank of the campaign was the Churchill tank (early models carried a 6-pdr tank gun; later models had a 75mm main gun), with such equipped tank units being bolstered with Shermans. In general, the Shermans acted in the infantry support role in difficult (mountainous and hilly) terrain against fixed-type German defenses and fortifications. At the end of 1944, 76mm-, 105mm- (howitzer) and 17-pdr-armed Shermans began to be fielded by the British troops as they came up against the German-built and strongly-defended Gothic Line.

Northwest Europe

British and Commonwealth use in Europe was comprehensive. The Sherman replaced the M3 Grant and Lee tanks and the Ram Tank in Canadian service and was in the majority by 1944 – the other main late-war tanks being the Churchill and Cromwell cruiser tank. The Cromwell was used largely in the reconnaissance role. The slower, more heavily armored Churchills were used in the infantry support Tank Brigades.

The Sherman 17pdr variant was converted mostly from the M4 Sherman I and M4A4 Sherman V, with possibly a few Sherman III, and was used both in Sherman and Cromwell-equipped units to add extra anti-tank capability. The VC was necessary as the intended supplement (the 17 pdr development of the Cromwell was produced in insufficient numbers whilst the production of the VC was much greater). A 1944-pattern British armored squadron (equivalent to a US company) had one 17pdr Sherman per troop (platoon) of four Shermans. The 17pdr Sherman was retained in Cromwell units until the introduction of the Comet, which carried the 77mm HV, a shortened derivative of the OQF 17 pounder firing the 17 pounder shell from the cartridge of the obsolete 3-inch 20cwt AA gun for less recoil but with slightly less armor penetration.

By the end of the war, 50% of the Shermans in British service were VCs or ICs. With the end of the war, and with superior tanks entering service, the UK returned its Shermans to reduce its Lend-Lease payments. However, the US did not really want the 17pdr conversions returned and many found their way from British stocks into other armies post-war, where they served until the 1960s in many cases (e.g. Argentine Repotenciado upgrade of IC and VC fitted with French 105mm gun and diesel engine).

India

In the Indian Army tradition, formations included British regiments alongside Indian Army units. (The Army of India consisted of both the Indian Army and the British Army in India between 1903 and 1947.) As well as some Indian units receiving Shermans, the 116th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (converted from the 9th Battalion Gordon Highlanders) part of 255th Brigade was equipped with Shermans. As part of the 255th, they were involved in January and February 1945 in Burma in action near Meiktila and Mandalay. The actions were predominantly in support of infantry with few enemy tanks encountered. After that, they were part of mobile columns that moved to retake Rangoon.

New Zealand

The 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade operated approximately 150 M4A2 Sherman tanks from late 1942 until the end of the war. The 4th Brigade formed part of the New Zealand 2nd Division and was converted from an infantry brigade. The 4th Armoured Brigade saw action during the Italian Campaign.

Australia

Although the Australian Army received 757 M3 Lee/Grants in 1942, it only received three Sherman tanks. These three tanks were supplied by the UK and were only used for trials purposes. When the Australian Cruiser tank program was cancelled in 1943, after US authorities promised M4 Mediums would be available in any quantity required by Australia. A proposal was made to replace the entire order of 775 Australian Cruiser tanks with 310 Sherman tanks; however, this proposal was not acted on. Early in 1944 Australian Army was requested by War Office to undertake trials of Churchill and Sherman tanks in "New Guinea conditions". Trials were conducted in the jungle terrain of New Guinea using British Churchill Mk IV, Mk V and Mk VII Infantry tanks and American Sherman M4A1 and M4A2 Medium tanks, and included armament tests involving firing 75mm and 95mm main guns on a Japanese style bunker constructed from coconut logs. It was considered by those trials results that the Churchill was preferable to the Sherman for operations in jungle.

Australia's first Sherman, an M4A2, arrived in Australia in 1943 with a further two M4s (sometimes mis-labelled as M4A1s) arriving for tropical trials in New Guinea in 1944. The tanks were manned by crews drawn from the Australian 4th Armoured Brigade. The results of these trials showed that the British Churchill tank was better suited to jungle warfare's low-speed infantry support than the Sherman. As a result, the Australian Government ordered 510 Churchills, of which 51 were delivered before the order was cancelled at the end of the war, and did not order any further Shermans. Following the war, the three trials tanks were placed on display at Australian Army bases and one was later destroyed after being used as a tank target.

Canada

The United States officially did not list Canada as a Lend-Lease recipient, but did create the 1941 Joint Defense Production Committee with Canada so that "each country should provide the other with the defense articles which it is best able to produce" and American Locomotive Company enabled its Canadian subsidiary, the Montreal Locomotive Works, to build M4A1 variants in Canada. Canada received four Shermans under Lend-Lease; the mechanism of this is not fully understood. The MLW built 188 Shermans called the Grizzly I cruiser in Canadian service, which were restricted to training. As there was sufficient production capacity in the US, the MLW investment in Ram and Sherman tank production was turned to building of the Sexton self-propelled guns which used the 25pdr gun-howitzer on M3 or M4 chassis. In European combat, the Canadian Army used American-built Shermans supplied by the UK. These were armed with 75 mm, 105 mm and 17-pounder guns.

China

Chinese forces based in British India received 100 M4A4 Shermans from British stocks and used them to great effect against considerably-inferior Japanese tanks and their infantry in the subsequent offensives, such as in Battle of Northern Burma and Western Yunnan, between 1943 and 1944. After the war, some vehicles remaining in India went to the British, with several others put to use by the Nationalist Chinese (Kuomintang) against Chinese communist (CCP) forces in the Chinese Civil War until the KMT's defeat in 1949.

Soviet Union

The M4A2s used by the Red Army were considered to be much-less prone to blow up due to ammunition detonation than their T-34/76 but had a higher tendency to overturn in road accidents and collisions or because of rough terrain due to their much-higher center of gravity.

Under Lend-Lease, 4,102 M4A2 medium tanks were sent to the Soviet Union. Of these, 2,007 were equipped with the original 75 mm main gun, with 2,095 mounting the more-capable 76 mm tank gun. The total number of Sherman tanks sent to the U.S.S.R. under Lend-Lease represented 18.6% of all Lend-Lease Shermans.

The first 76mm-armed M4A2 diesel-fuel Shermans started to arrive in Soviet Union in the late summer of 1944. By 1945, some Red Army armored units were standardized to depend primarily on them and not on their ubiquitous T-34. Such units include the 1st Guards Mechanized Corps, the 3rd Guards Mechanized Corps, 6th Guards Tank Army and the 9th Guards Mechanized Corps, amongst others. The Sherman was largely held in good regard and viewed positively by many Soviet tank-crews which operated it before, with compliments mainly given to its reliability, ease of maintenance, generally good firepower (referring especially to the 76mm-gun version) and decent armor protection, as well as an auxiliary power unit (APU) to keep the tank's batteries charged without having to run the main engine for the same purpose as the Soviets' own T-34 tank required.

Poland

Poland was not a recipient of Lend-Lease aid directly from the United States, however, Polish forces also used a wide variety of Shermans redirected from Lend-Lease shipments to the British Empire. The Polish 1st Armoured Division entered the Battle of Normandy mostly equipped with Sherman Vs (M4A4s) with 75 mm guns, and VC Shermans. The reconnaissance battalion was equipped with Cromwells, as in British armored divisions. (With the 10th Mounted Rifle Regiment.) After heavy losses closing the Falaise Pocket and in the Dutch campaign, the division was re-equipped, largely with Sherman IIA (M4A1 (W) 76 mm) models.

The Polish II Corps, fighting in Italy, primarily used M4A2s (Sherman III) that had been used by the British Army in Africa. However, some ICs and Sherman IB (M4(105 mm)) howitzer tanks were also used.

Parts of the Polish First Army also briefly used M4A2 (76 mm) borrowed from the Soviet armies after heavy losses in the conquest of Danzig. After receiving replacements, the army was re-equipped with T-34s.

France

The first use of Sherman tanks by a French unit appears to have been with 1ère Compagnie Autonome de Chars de Combat (1ère CACC), it was merged with the French Army Corps Reconnaissance Group (GRCA), and was known as the "Free French Flying Column". It was part of the British Eighth Army, and fought from El-Alamein to Tunisia. The tank company was attached to "Force L (Leclerc)" and later became the 1st Company of the newly organized 501ème Régiment de Chars de Combat, 2ème Division Blindée.

In 1943, the Free French Forces decided to create their new army in North Africa, and had an agreement with the Americans to be equipped with modern US weapons. France received 656 Sherman tanks under Lend-Lease (274 M4A4s and 362 M4A2s, plus 20 remanufactured M4A2s), being the third largest recipient of the Sherman. French armored divisions were organized and equipped the same as the U.S. Army's "light" armored division table of organization and equipment of 1943. Each division was equipped with 165 Shermans. The French 2nd Armored Division (French: Division Blindée, DB) entered the Battle of Normandy fully equipped with M4A2s. The 1ème and 5ème DB, which entered southern France as part of the First French Army, were equipped with a mixture of M4A2 and M4A4 medium tanks. M4A3(76) and M4A3(75)W tanks were later received from U.S. Army stocks as replacements to make up for losses in combat, and the French were also issued M4A3 (105) Shermans; the 2ème DB received a few M4(105)s at the end of July 1944 while still in the UK. The 3ème DB, which served as a training and reserve organization for the three operational armored divisions, was equipped with roughly 200 medium and light tanks. Of these, 120 were later turned in to the US Army's Delta Base Section at Marseille for reissue. In the final weeks of the War in Europe, French units also received supplies of M4A1(75)s, remanufactured in the US before shipment overseas.

Brazil

Brazil received 53 Sherman tanks under Lend-Lease in 1944, all equipped with the 75 mm gun. These tanks were not used by the Brazilian Expeditionary Force in Italy during the war, but sent directly to defend Brazil itself. In the early 1950s, another group of 30 Sherman tanks was delivered under the Military Assistance Program, bringing the total number of Shermans to 83 tanks. The variants of these tanks consisted of 40 M4, 38 M4 with the Composite Hull, and 2 M4A1. The Brazilian Army used the Shermans until 1979 when they were replaced by M41 tanks.

Czechoslovakia

While the Czechoslovak government-in-exile did not receive Lend-lease equipment from the United States, its 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade was equipped and supplied by the British Army. The Brigade's equipment during the siege of Dunkirk included 36 Sherman ICs in addition to Cromwell tanks, which constituted the primary armored vehicle operated by the brigade. The 17pdr Shermans were, in May 1945, exchanged for 22 Challenger cruiser tanks with which the brigade returned home. In addition, one damaged Sherman I abandoned by an unknown unit was salvaged from the battlefield by the brigade's repair shop and was later used as a recovery vehicle. This vehicle returned with the brigade to Czechoslovakia.

South Africa

South African Shermans were used by the 6th Armoured Division.

Sources

Zaloga, Steven J.; Grandsen, James (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press.

Sandars, John (1982). The Sherman Tank in British service 1942-1945. Vanguard No. 15. Oxford: Osprey Publishing.

Hunnicutt, R. P (1978) [1971]. Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank. San Rafeal: Taurus Enterprises.

mapleleafup.org

Tanks!

"Canada in the Second World War".

United States Government Manual (PDF). Office for Emergency Management. Spring 1942.

"M4 Sherman" (in Danish). ww2photo.mimerswell.com.

Further Reading

Loza, Dmitriy (1996). James F. Gebhardt (ed.). Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks: The World War II Memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union Dmitriy Loza. University of Nebraska Press.

The crew of a Sherman tank of 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry receive rations before the start of Operation "Totalise," 7 August 1944. Visible on the right hand side of this Sherman tank are two add-on patches of welded armor. This modification to Sherman tanks began in late 1943. The patches covered the ammunition racks on the inside of the tank. This extra armor was intended reduce the number of ammunition explosions inside of the tank due to hits by enemy armor piercing rounds.

Sherman IC medium tanks of a Polish unit.

Mountain-climbing U.S. M4 medium tanks, manned by Chinese and American crews, use the Burma Road for the first time after the combined Allied offensive had broken the two-year Japanese control of the only overland supply route to China. 1945.

British Sherman patrolling the Meuse River at Namur, 1944.

British Sherman crab flail tank under test, 79th Armoured Division. 27 April 1944.

Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) amphibious tank with waterproof float screens. When in the water the float screen was raised and the rear propellers came into operation. 1944.

1st Hussars tanks and men of the 7th Infantry Brigade landing on a crowded beach at Courseulles-sur-Mer. 6 June 1944.

British Sherman tank using a Churchill 'Ark' armored ramp carrier to climb over an escarpment, 79th Armoured Division. 13 February 1944.

Queen's Own Rifles dug in near Carpiquet, 6 June 1944. On the left a Sherman tank securing the area.

The British 2nd Army: Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) tanks of 'B' Squadron, 13/18th Royal Hussars, and men of No 4 Commando advancing towards Ouistreham. 6 June 1944.

The British 2nd Army: Men of No 4 Commando engaged in house-to-house fighting with the Germans at Riva Bella, near Ouistreham. Sherman DD tanks of 'B' Squadron, 13/18th Royal Hussars are providing fire support and cover. After subduing the opposition, No 4 Commando moved inland to link up with 6th Airborne Division. 6 June 1944.

A British Sherman BARV and Sherman tanks of 13th/18th Royal Hussars during the regiment's move from Petworth to Gosport. 2 June 1944.

German prisoners, up to their knees in the sea, wait for collection in the shadow of a disabled British Sherman Crab flail tank. 6 June 1944.

British Sherman tank of 24th Lancers, 8th Armoured Brigade, near St Leger. 11 June 1944.

British Sherman and Cromwell tanks of the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group near Tilly-sur-Seulles. 13 June 1944.

British Sherman tanks of 33rd Armoured Brigade during Operation 'Charnwood,' the attack on Caen, 8 July 1944. Probably an M4A4 Sherman VC Firefly, considering turret counterweight.

British Sherman tanks and 6-pdr anti-tank gun in the center of Caen, 10 July 1944.

A British Sherman Firefly crosses 'Euston Bridge' over the Orne as it moves up to the start line for Operation 'Goodwood,' 18 July 1944.

British infantry and tanks wait to advance at the start of Operation 'Goodwood.' 18 July 1944.

British Sherman tanks carrying infantry wait for the order to advance at the start of Operation 'Goodwood.' 18 July 1944.

A Sherman tank moves through Bois Holbout, during the advance to Falaise. 15 August 1944.

Men of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry resting next to a Sherman tank of 3rd Royal Tank Regiment. Probably an M4A4 Sherman VC Firefly, considering turret counterweight. 15 August 1944.

The U.S. Coast Guard manned USS LST-21 unloads British Army tanks and trucks onto a "Rhino" barge during the early hours of the invasion on Gold Beach, 6 June 1944. Note the nickname "Virgin" on the "Sherman" tank at left.

British Sherman tanks pass through Caumont. 30 July 1944.

Sherman tanks of British 30th Corps passing through Bayeux, liberated by the British 50th Infantry. 1944.

British Sherman tanks, moving forward near Lebisey Wood for the assault on Caen, pass another tank and crew waiting for the order to advance. 1944.

Sherman tanks of the Irish Guards Group advance past others which were knocked out earlier during Operation Market-Garden. 17 September 1944.

A Sherman Firefly tank of the Irish Guards Group advances past Sherman tanks knocked out earlier during Operation Market-Garden. 17 September 1944.

M4 Medium Tank on the Champs-Élysées.

Allied tanks of British XXX Corps cross the road bridge at Nijmegen during its capture. 17-20 September 1944.

The British commander and Indian crew of a Sherman tank of the 9th Royal Deccan Horse, 255th Indian Tank Brigade, encounter a newly liberated elephant on the road to Meiktila, Burma. 29 March 1945.

Squadron Sergeant Major William John Parkes of No. 3 Squadron, 2nd (Armoured) Irish Guards, killed when his Sherman tank was knocked out during the advance towards Eindhoven as part of Operation 'Market-Garden.' Killed in action on 17 September 1944 aged 33, he was a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland and was later buried in Grave II.B.8 at Valkenswaard War Cemetery, situated approx 10 kms south of Eindhoven and close to the Belgian border. 17 September 1944.

The British commander and Indian crew of a Sherman tank of the 9th Royal Deccan Horse, 255th Indian Tank Brigade, encounter a newly liberated elephant on the road to Meiktila, Burma. 29 March 1945.

Sherman BARV (Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle), Earls Court, London. 8 February 1944.

M4 medium tanks in Chinese Army service.

Paratrooper of the 101st Airborne Division inspecting a knocked out British Sherman Firefly tank during Operation Market Garden. The paratrooper is looking through one of the two penetration holes in the glacis at the driver's position.

British Sherman tanks of 'A' Squadron 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry, negotiating a road block in Brunen, while advancing to cross the Rhine. Germany, 29 March 1945.

The crew of a New Zealand Sherman medium tank, "Iowa," resting in the North African desert.

British Sherman tank of 24th Lancers, 8th Armoured Brigade, near St Leger. 11 June 1944.

British Sherman DD tanks crossing the Rhine. 24 March 1945.

British Sherman tanks advancing through cheering crowds in Valkenswaard. 18 September 1944.

British Sherman Firefly tanks of the Pretoria Regiment somewhere in Italy during 1944.

British Sherman medium tanks of the 44th Royal Tank Regiment lined up front to back in the village of Veghel on 21 September 1944. The 44th Royal Tank Regiment supported the 101st Airborne Division in the battle to retain control of Hell's Highway.

The diesel-engined British Sherman III (M4A2) medium tank was used in Tunis and Italy, 1943. Cast nose and M34 gun mount.

Sherman IBY medium tank was the British designation of the M4 (105mm Howitzer) with HVSS.

British Sherman I medium tank with one-piece nose, appliqué armor, and M34A1 gun mount.

British Sherman tanks parked side by side on the promenade at Catania, Sicily. 1943.

British Sherman VC Firefly with turret extension, loader's hatch, and barrel clamp. This was the British designation for the M4A4 medium tank and was the most numerous of the Firefly versions.

British Sherman IC medium tank with 17-pounder gun, extended turret and appliqué armor.

British Sherman IIIAY. This was the British designation for the late production M4A2 (76mm) medium tank.

British Sherman V, fitted experimentally with Horstmann suspension.

British Sherman V of the Coldstream Guards (Guards Armoured Division) fitted with Typhoon aircraft rockets. Note the grousers fitted to the tracks.

Tulip on a British Sherman medium tank of the Coldstream Guards, Guards Armoured Division. These were aircraft rockets (Motor, Rocket, Aircraft, 3-inch, No. 1) "borrowed" from a nearby Typhoon squadron and fitted on launcher rails, one on each side of the Sherman V and VC turrets.

British Sherman VIIC with 17-pdr. Gun. This was the British designation for the M4A6 medium tank which was not used the U.S. Army. France, 1944.

British Sherman medium tank.

British Sherman medium tanks lined up for their role as indirect fire artillery, pound Geilenkirchen on 19 November 1944, which was quickly captured by American infantry.

British Sherman (M4A1) medium tank with 76mm gun.

A standard Sherman festooned with extra front 'protection' in Normandy. The Sherman, mostly of the Sherman V type, provided the standard British medium tank from 1943 to the end of the war. The white star was used by all Allied forces in Northwest Europe and Italy. Note the Sherman-based M10 Wolverine tank destroyers in the background.

British Sherman medium tank.

A British Sherman tank is returned to the British Eighth Army after repairs.

British Shermans, first seen at El Alamein, go into the attack.

British Sherman Firefly at a crossroads in Holland.

After being completely submerged in the Meuse River for seven weeks, this Firefly Vc medium tank was retrieved by personnel of the 478th Ordnance Evacuation Company, using two M25 tank transporters. Marche railhead, Belgium, 3 March 1945.

British Sherman medium tank, Italy.

British Sherman VC "Firefly" (U.S. M4A4, 3065484) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, circa 1950s.

Same British Sherman Vc medium tank at Aberdeen Proving Ground, circa early 1970s.

British Sherman mired on the beach, Normandy, 12 June 1944.

British Sherman (M4A1), Western Desert.

Same British Sherman, Western Desert.

British Sherman, Western Desert.

British Sherman (T150620), Netherlands.

A column of British Sherman tanks and other vehicles moves in single file down a narrow road. They are hemmed in by the hedgerows, which border each side of the passage. Even after the Allied bombardment, remaining hedgerows made movement through the battle area a difficult and time-consuming process for British tanks.

British tank crews sit on top of their Shermans and wait for word to move out at the start of the Caen offensive.

British Sherman IIA with M1A1 gun, in Italy. This was the British designation for the M4A1 (76mm) medium tank.

Very early production M4A1 medium tank, "Michael," the first Sherman supplied to Britain.

Very early production M4A1 medium tank "Michael."

British Sherman, "51."

A column of British Shermans moving along a road through a partially flooded area of Holland.

British Sherman, Netherlands.

British Sherman, followed by a truck and an M31 tank recovery vehicle move along a street of a French town.

British troops follow a Sherman medium tank down a street.

British Sherman medium tank moves past the burning remains of an enemy truck.

Tanks and infantry of the British 1st Division assembling on the beach on D-Day at Anzio for their drive inland to the Albano road.

British Sherman ARV I towing a Sherman medium tank, Normandy, June/July 1944.

British DD Sherman swimming tanks after crossing the Elbe River, 1945.

British DD Sherman swimming tank in the process of lowering its wading screen after a river crossing.

British DD Sherman swimming tanks.

British DD Sherman with the floatation screen lowered and the driver's head poking out of his hatch. The large tube struts on the bow glacis plate help support the front of the screen when it is erected.

British DD Sherman amphibious tank. This was a basic Sherman III or V made watertight and fitted with a collapsible canvas screen which although it took fifteen minutes to erect could be dropped immediately on landing. Two propellers gave a maximum speed through the water of about 4 knots and these could also be swiveled for steering, either by a hydraulic system or by means of a tiller operated by a crew member standing on the rear of the turret.

British DD Sherman medium tank in a field in France with a Horsa glider in the background.

Sherman BARV (Beach Armored Recovery Vehicle) towing a tractor trailer along a sandy beach.

British Sherman Twaby showing the ramps folded and kingposts rigged.

British Sherman V ARV I, showing the A-frame fitted for hoisting.

British Sherman BARV was the standard British BARV until around 1962. Postwar it was known as the Sea Lion.

British Sherman V ARV II rear view showing spade and jib. The vehicle and a dummy gun and turret.

Sherman Fascine Carrier was a turretless vehicle modified by the British 79th Armored Division.

British Sherman V Adder showing the flame fuel tank at the rear and the armored pipe on the hull top.

The British Sherman Crocodile utilized the same flame-throwing equipment as the Churchill Crocodile.

The British Sherman Scorpion was the predecessor of the Sherman Crab.

British Sherman Marquis had the same flails as the Crab, but a large welded turret.

British Sherman Crab II showing the lane marking chutes and station keeping lights at the rear.

British Sherman CIRD, version with 18-inch rollers.

British Sherman AMRCR.

British Sherman Lulu.

British Sherman Jeffries Plough.

British Crab flail mine clearing tank.

Sherman Firefly medium tank, Canadian Army, Holland.

M19 tank transporter with Sherman medium tank, Canadian Army.

Canadian Sherman, Overloon, Holland, 1944. A Churchill precedes it down the street.

Sherman Badger. The arrow points to the flame projector. Developed by the Canadians.

Dummy Sherman medium tank designed by the British, made of rubber and inflated when used. Could be assembled in 20 minutes. When used in field could simulate tank positions. British soldiers lay out the dummy Sherman tank before inflating it.

British soldiers finish inflating the dummy Sherman tank.

General view showing the soldiers placing the completely assembled dummy into a camouflaged position which was recently vacated by a medium tank moving up to attack. Fifth Army, Anzio area, Italy, 20 May 1944.

The dummy Sherman tank fully inflated and assembled alongside a real British Army Sherman tank.

Canadian Sherman medium tank, Holland, 1944-45.

Sherman, 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division, central Italy.

Shermans, 18th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, approaching Guardiagrele, November 1943.

Sherman tank moving through the front line village of Granarolo dell'Emilia, Senio River area, Italy, on the day of the bombing of the enemy defenses beyond the Senio River, 9 April 1945.

Sherman III, 19th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, undergoing trials with grousers. Early 1945.

Sherman IIIs, 8 Troop, B Squadron, 20th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, on the Via Cicerone, Trieste, Italy, May 1945.

Sherman III, 18th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Italy.

Vehicles of 9 Troop, C Squadron, 19th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Route 16, south of Rimini airfield, 18 September 1944.

Sherman III, C Squadron, 19th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Liri Valley, Italy, 17 May 1944.

Sherman 17-pdr., C Squadron,, 20th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Po Valley.

M4A2 Sherman, 20th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Cassino.

Sherman, C Squadron, 18th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Po River.

Sherman III, C Squadron, 20th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Bellaria, Italy, October 1944.

New Zealand armor waiting to cross the Po River.

Sherman, 19th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Italy, 1944.

Crew cleaning the main gun barrel of their Sherman, 20th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, Faenza, December 1944.

Sherman IC Firefly, 18th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, crossing Bailey Bridge, Italy, 1945.

Shermans, C Squadron, 20th Armoured Regiment, 4th New Zealand Brigade, outside Trieste, April 1945. The lead tank is an M4A3 (105mm).

New Zealand Sherman crossing Bailey Bridge.

New Zealand Sherman.

Sherman, 4th New Zealand Brigade, outside Guardiagrele, Italy.

A French woman greets an M4 medium tank of the French 2nd Armored Division as it moves through her town in France.

M4 medium tanks, Free French unit, Utah Beach, 1 August 1944.

M4 medium tanks, French 2nd Armored Division, Normandy beachhead, 2 August 1944.

M4 medium tank of the 2nd Free French Armored Division debarks from an LST on Utah Beach. 1944.

M4 medium tank of the 2nd Armored Division debarks from an LST, Normandy, June 1944.

Knocked out M4 medium tank, French 2nd Armored Division, near the Moselle River, September 1944.

M4 medium tank, Free French unit with Seventh Army, Marseilles, August 1944.

M4 medium tanks and M5 light tank, center, Free French armored division, Dijon, November 1944.

M4 medium tank, French markings, Normandy, circa 1970s.

M4 medium tank, 5th Armored Division, French First Army, Hericourt, November 1944.

M4A2 medium tank, "AUSTERLITZ," 3e Escadron, 5e RCA, Langogne (Lozère), August 1944.

M4A4 medium tank (432678), "AUSTERLITZ," 4e Escadron, 2e RCA, Lieutenant Jean de Loisy, Mulhouse, 21 November 1944.

M4A1 medium tank, "AUNIS III," 4e Escadron, 12 RCA.

M4A2 medium tank, "AUNIS," 4e Escadron, 12 RCA.

M4A2 medium tank (420894), "AUBUSSON," No. 37, 3e Escadron, 12e CUIR, Guinzeling, 21 February 1945.

M4A4 medium tank, "ASPIC III," 2e Escadron, 1er CUIR, Königsbach, Germany, 6 April 1945.

M4A4 medium tank, "ASPIC III," 2e Escadron, 1er CUIR, Königsbach, Germany, 6 April 1945.

M4A4 medium tank, "ANJOU," 3e Escadron, 2e RCA, Didenheim, November 1944.

M4A2 medium tank, "ANGERS," 3e Escadron, 12e CUIR, 13 August 1944. Knocked out PzKpfw V "Panther" in background.

M4A2 medium tank, "AUERSTADT," 3e Escadron, 5e RCA, Lure (Haute-Saone), October 1944.

M4A4 medium tank, "ANGERS," 2e Escadron, 2e RCA, after striking a mine, Berghaupten, Germany, 18 April 1945.

M4A4 medium tank, "ANGERS," 2e Escadron, 2e RCA, after striking a mine, Berghaupten, Germany, 18 April 1945.

M4A3 (105mm) medium tank, "ANDELOT II," 501e RCC.

M4A4 medium tank, "ANGERS," 2e Escadron, 2e RCA.

M4A2 medium tank (420849) "AMBOISE," No. 35, 3e Escadron, 12e CUIR, S/Lt Poole.

M4A2 medium tank (420849) "AMBOISE," No. 35, 3e Escadron, 12e CUIR, S/Lt Poole.

M4A2 medium tank (420849) "AMBOISE," No. 35, 3e Escadron, 12e CUIR, S/Lt Poole.

M4A4 medium tank, "ALSACE," 3e Escadron, 2e RCA, 27 November 1944.

M4A2 medium tank, "ALMA," 3e Escadron, 5e RCA.

M4A4 medium tank, "ALGERIE," 3ème Escadron, 2ème RCA, 28 September 1944.

M4A1 medium tank, "ABBEVILLE II," No. 63, 12e Cuir, 4e Escadron, Champs-Elysées, 18 June 1945.

Medium Tank M4 of a French armored unit accompanied by French infantry, Colmar.

M4 medium tank, "Bourg la Reine," 2nd French Armored Division. The French did not officially receive any M4A3(75)W Medium Tanks as Lend Lease. However, they were provided with many different types of M4s from U.S. reserves in order to make up for losses. This tank was manufactured in May 1944, and so has such early features as the commander's split hatch, first type of smoke mortar aperture and "open" ventilator between the drivers' hatches. It was probably one of the last units to be built with the early glacis pattern.

M4A3 medium tank, "Bourg la Reine," 12e Cuir., 3e Esc., French 2nd Armored Division, Phalsbourg, France, knocked out by enemy fire 21 November 1944 (photo taken 22 November 1944). Its original French Matricule (Registration) Number can be seen as 96012 (left). Not visible in these photos are three small, probably 75mm hits, on the left side of the hull and turret, and one larger caliber hit, possibly 88mm almost square on the pistol port cover on the left side of the turret. The shell from this fourth hit went clear through the turret and the exit hole can be seen in these photos.

Close up of the same M4A3 medium tank as in the previous photo showing the exit hole in the turret side. In both these photos, the sky is visible through the exit and entrance holes in the turret.

Same M4A3 medium tank as seen in the previous two photos, 10 December 1944. About a week later, the tank was photographed again, by which time it had been salvaged for useable parts by supporting maintenance units following in the wake of the combat troops. The vehicle is now a memorial at Phalsbourg, France.

The result of a Sherman medium tank hitting a mine. The track broke and piled up in front of the tank.

M4 DD, French markings, Normandy, circa 1970s.

M4 Medium Tank, Soviet Army, 1945.

M4 Medium Tank, Soviet Army.

M4 Medium Tank, Soviet Army.

Knocked out M4 Medium Tank, Soviet Army.

M4 medium tank in Soviet service.

M4 medium tank in Soviet service.

Wounded German soldier walks past a knocked out M4 medium tank in Soviet Army service. Another knocked out M4 medium tank is visible in the background. January 1944.

Chinese troops in M4 medium tanks on the Burma Road during the Burma campaign, late 1944.

M4 medium tank with the British Scorpion mine exploder. The cylinder to which the chains were attached was driven by a power take-off from the tank's engine. The chains whipped the ground, setting off any concealed tank mines.

Crew members of a British Sherman medium tank loading armor-piercing shells. Note the souvenir German helmet over the headlight.

A newly-arrived Sherman tank being loaded onto a 'Z' craft to be taken ashore at Port Tewfik, Egypt, 9 September 1942.

A jeep and Sherman tanks of HQ 2nd Armoured Brigade, 10 October 1942. The white line on the tank was being used as a guideline by the Camouflage Unit who were called away before completing the painting of the Brigade's tanks.

Close-up of the driver of a Sherman tank, 13 October 1942.

Crews climb aboard Sherman tanks of The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards), 1st Armoured Division. El Alamein, 24 October 1942.

Sherman tanks of The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards), 1st Armoured Division. El Alamein, 24 October 1942.

Sherman tanks of The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards), 1st Armoured Division. El Alamein, 24 October 1942.

Sherman II tanks of the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards), 2nd Armoured Brigade, moving up to the Alamein line, 24 October 1942.

A Sherman tank of HQ 24th Armoured Brigade, with its 'sunshield' lorry camouflage erected, 26 October 1942.

Sherman tanks of 8th Armoured Brigade waiting just behind the forward positions near El Alamein before being called to join the battle, 27 October 1942.

The crew of a Sherman tank pose beside their vehicle, decorated with a cartoon figure, during a break in fighting in the Western Desert, 29 October 1942. Note that three of the men are wearing American tank helmets, which were generally unpopular with British crews.

A soldier in the tank recovery section of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) examines damage inflicted by an 88mm anti-tank gun to the barrel of a Sherman tank, which is about to be recovered from the battlefield, October 1942. Another shell hit can be seen on the side of the turret.

A Scammell Pioneer tank transporter carrying a damaged Sherman tank back to a REME repair workshop in the Western Desert, 29 October 1942.

Sherman tanks of the Eighth Army move across the desert at speed as the Axis forces begin to retreat from El Alamein.

Sherman tanks of 'C' Squadron, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division, 5 November 1942.

Sherman tanks of 'C' Squadron, 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division, 5 November 1942.

A long line of transport, including a Sherman tank on a Scammell tank transporter, moving along the coast road in pursuit of the enemy, 11 November 1942.

Sherman tanks during the advance along the coast road towards Tripoli, 27 January 1943.

English, South African and New Zealander tank crews receive instruction on the Sherman tank by an American instructor at Dab el Haag training camp near Cairo, 24 February 1943.

Sherman tanks move up during the advance to Kasserine, 24 February 1943.

Newly-arrived Sherman tanks on the quayside in Tripoli, 15 March 1943.

Sherman tanks on parade during a visit by the Turkish Military Mission, 28 March 1943.

LTG W. G. Holmes, GOC 9th Army, stands on a Sherman tank of the Wiltshire Yeomanry to watch a gunnery display, 5 April 1943.

A Sherman tank crosses an anti-tank ditch during the advance through the Gabes Gap, Tunisia, 6-7 April 1943.

Sherman tanks of the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) advance through the Gabes Gap, 7 April 1943.

A Sherman tank crossing a wadi, 22 April 1943.

Sherman tanks advance past a knocked-out anti-tank gun of the type 8.8-cm-PaK 36. Tunisia, 23 April 1943.

A Sherman tank crew greets a Valentine tank crew at the link-up of the First and Eighth Armies at Bou Ficha, Tunisia, 14 May 1943.

A Sherman tank leaves a landing craft during an exercise on the North African coast, 6 June 1943.

Two Sherman tanks taking part in the United Nations parade in Cairo which saw 5,000 troops and vehicles pass through the city, 14 June 1943.

A Sherman tank of 40th Royal Tank Regiment reversing into a U.S. Navy LST at Bizerta, 4-9 September 1943.