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| Lined up in a snow-covered field, near St. Vith, Belgium are M4 Sherman tanks of the 40th Tank Battalion. |
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| A winter-camouflaged M4A3 76W Sherman tank with a 76mm gun, belonging to the 709th or 750th Tank Battalion, supporting the 75th Infantry Division, driving through the village of Riedwihr (now Porte-du-Ried) in the Colmar region of France, 31 January 1945. |
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| Thunderbolt VI, the second Sherman under Abrams' command. This Chrysler-built Sherman tank is an M4A3 model with 76mm M1 gun but still retaining the VVSS suspension. |
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| 'Lt. Col. W. Rankin, Capt. Dyas, L/Cpl. Voce, Sgt. Prior, Sgt. McArthur', 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. Lieutenant-Colonel W Rankin photographed with a Mark II M4A1 Sherman tank named 'Sharpshooter', and crew, from Regimental Head Quarters Tank Troop Squadron, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1944. The Sherman tank had a crew of five consisting of a commander, the driver, a gunner, a radio operator who also acted as gun loader, and a co-driver who also manned the hull machine gun. |
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| M4 Sherman tanks awaiting shipment, 14 March 1945. M4 tanks lashed to flat cars near Warehouse 1, Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, Newport News, Virginia, about to be shipped overseas after being processed at Warehouse 29, Processing Shop, Maintenance Branch. |
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| Sherman Badger flamethrower tank. The Sherman Badger was developed in order to replace Canada's Ram Badger flame tanks. The vehicle's development took place during the post-war period between 1945 and 1949. An M4A2 Sherman hull, running on HVSS suspension, was fitted with a flamethrower from a Wasp IIC in place of the hull machine gun (the Wasp was a flamethrower variant of the British Universal Carrier). The flamethrower had a capacity of 150 gallons (567.8 liters) and a range of 375 feet (114.3 meters). Flame projector elevation was +30 and -10 degrees, while the traverse was 30 left and 23 right. The Sherman Badger's trials proved unsuccessful and the project was subsequently cancelled. |
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| Very early production M4A1 medium tank, "Michael," the first Sherman delivered to Britain, on display at Horseguards Parade in London, 8 May 1942. |
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| A column of Sherman Mark 5 (M4A4) tank belonging to the 19th King George V's Own Lancers (part of the divisional Reconnaissance Regiment of 25th Indian Infantry Division) being paraded in the road facing Sultan Abdul Samad Building (that would later become the Merdeka Square) in Malaya, 13 September 1945. |
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| Thunderbolt VII, the last Sherman that was commanded by Abrams. This Chrysler-built M4A3E8 model is distinguished from his previous tank due to the amount of modification placed on the tank to augment its armor protection. The welded armor plate used on his tank were mostly salvaged from enemy or friendly tanks that were knocked out and this move was actually a response to Patton's forbidding the use of sandbags on Sherman tanks while commanding the US Third Army (which provided little to no protection against threats from anti-tank guns and Panzerfausts). |
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| US T5 Tank Recovery Vehicle prototype. The T5 was the first in a series of ARV prototypes that would eventually lead to the M32 Tank Recovery Vehicle—of which around 1,562 were built. The prototypes and the production models were built on various M4 Sherman hulls and chassis, covering all the major templates: M4A1, M4A2, M4A3, M4A4 (with both HVSS and VVSS variants). The T5 specifically was completed in August 1943 and underwent trials at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. The vehicle was built on M4 Sherman (base model?) hull serial 3010995. I believe Baldwin Locomotive Works oversaw the conversion. Note, in the photo below, the plethora of engineering equipment mounted on the turretless hull (winches, cranes, jacks, etc.). In another photo, the T5 is seen with a mortar positioned on the front glacis. Later in its career, the T5 prototype ran trials with the detachable T1E2 Mine Exploder—the large mounting points clearly shown. You can see the module in-full in the inset (top left). The U.S. military kept the T5 prototype around, at least until 1947, for research photographs. I assume the vehicle was scrapped soon after. |
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| Tanks off-loading from an LCT, June 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. M4 Sherman tanks, fitted with exhaust stacks for use in water, drive off a Landing Craft Tank towards the beach. |
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| 'Front, Major IB Aird DSO, Lt. G R Bramall MM; and Sig. Dalton, L/Cpl. Stock GN, Cpl. Chittenden GV', 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. Sherman Sherman Mk II (M4A1) tank, nicknamed 'Viceroy', and crew, Regimental Head Quarters Tank Troop, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1944. Major Ian Basil Aird and Lieutenant G L Bramall are standing in front of the tank and Signaller Dalton, Land Corporal Stock and Corporal Chittenden are seated on the superstructure. Aird fought at the battle for Villers Bocage in June 1944 and won his Distinguished Service Order for his actions in Normandy. The Sherman tank had a crew of five consisting of a commander, the driver, a gunner, a radio operator who also acted as gun loader, and a co-driver who also manned the hull machine gun. |
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| Trooper Brooks, Sergeant Maxwell, Trooper Bower and Trooper Ward sit on their Sherman Firefly, 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. A Sherman Mark 1c Firefly (M4 Hybrid) of 2 Troop, 'A' Squadron, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), nicknamed 'Achilles', commanded by Sergeant Maxwell. The Sherman Firefly tank was fitted with the powerful 17-pounder anti-tank gun as its main weapon which was capable of penetrating more armor than the Tiger I's 88 mm KwK 36 gun. |
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| Lance-Corporal Dyke, Corporal Smalley and Trooper Reynolds, 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. A group of three men from the 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) sitting on a M4A1 Sherman Mark II tank, nicknamed 'Henry the Fifth', in Normandy. Note the additional tank tracks attached to the hull. As well as providing spare parts in the event of mechanical failure they also served as a useful defensive addition to the Sherman's armor plating. |
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| 3rd County of London Yeomanry, 'Gosport, third stage of waterproofing being completed', Operation OVERLORD, 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1944. Prior to D-Day, personnel from 3rd County of London Yeomanry waterproofing their Sherman tanks prior to embarkation for Normandy. In the foreground, next to the M4A1 Sherman Mark II of 1 Troop, 'B' Squadron, nicknamed 'Bacchus', can be seen stowage and one of the temporary stacks which were fitted to the tank's exhaust and air intakes to allow deep water wading. According to the Sharpshooters' war diary the unit moved to the Marshaling Area at Gosport, on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The unit crossed the English Channel the following day in LCTs (Landing Craft Tanks) and went ashore off Mont Fleury La Riviere. The war diary records that the deepest wading depth was 4 foot 6 inches. |
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| This image captures a moment in Trieste, Italy, in May 1945, featuring three Sherman III tanks belonging to the 20th Armoured Regiment of the 2nd New Zealand Division. The tanks are parked outside their billets on the Via Cicerone. From left to right, the tanks are identified as number 14 (Corporal Ritchie), 13 (Sergeant Jarman), and 12 (Lieutenant Turner). The Sherman III, known as the M4A2 in American designation, was a diesel-powered variant commonly supplied to British and Commonwealth forces. These vehicles were part of the Allied advance into Trieste just as World War II in Europe was ending. |
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| This photograph captures soldiers of the 18th Armoured Regiment (New Zealand) preparing for a combat operation in Italy during World War II, specifically identified as preparing to cross the Po River in 1945. The tank is an M4 Sherman, which was the primary battle tank used by the United States and its Allies during World War II. The soldiers are members of the 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade, serving as part of the 2nd New Zealand Division in the Italian campaign. The 18th Armoured Regiment was formed from the earlier 18th Battalion and played a significant role in the Italian campaign before being disbanded in December 1945. New Zealand armored regiments typically organized their squadrons with 52 tanks, which was less than the traditional British size of 61 tanks. |
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| This photograph depicts a New Zealand M4 Sherman tank, possibly from the 4th Armoured Brigade, stationed in Italy during World War II. The tank, marked with the number "12," is shown with its crew in a disruptive camouflage pattern. The terrain in the background features the foothills of the Italian Alps. |
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| Sherman 105mm (M4A3) medium tank. |
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| Sherman (M4A1) medium tank with 76mm gun. |
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| Sherman IIA with M1A1 gun, in Italy. This was the British designation for the M4A1 (76mm) medium tank. |
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| Sherman (M4A1), Western Desert. |
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| Sherman variants at the port of Cherbourg in France are unpacked after being unloaded from ships on November 4, 1944. The first Sherman is a M4A3E2 "Jumbo", also seen is a M32 TRV (tank recovery vehicle), two 105mm equipped Shermans, and some regular M4’s. Early re-manufactured M4 with covered Direct Vision, a gun travel lock and the rare T49 tracks in the center of the picture, just behind the TRV. The two soldiers were identified as Tec5 James Austin from Texas and SGT Cullie Bolton from California. Tec5 Austin is possibly James Wescoat Austin who was born in Tennessee, but resided in Texas, he lived from 1920-2016. SGT Bolton is possibly Cullie Jackson Bolton who was born in Georgia and resided in California, he lived from 1903-1989, which would have made him 41 years old in this picture. (US Army Signal Corps photo) |
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| British M4A4 Shermans with extra tracks for protection during the liberation of the Dutch city of Arnhem. April 1945. |
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| Sherman (M4A1), 4th Queens Own Hussars. |
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| M4A4 Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) with screens lowered. |
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| 'Cpl. Weston; Sitting - Tpr. Bamford, Cpl. Lindrea; Standing - Lt. WMD Lewis and Tpr. Greene', 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. A M4A1 Sherman Mk II tank, nicknamed 'The Yokel', and crew, Regimental Head Quarters Tank Troop, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1944. The crew are named as Corporal Weston seated on the turret; Troopers Bamford and Lindrea seated on the tank hull and Lieutenant W M D Lewis and Trooper Greene standing. The Sherman tank had a crew of five consisting of a commander, the driver, a gunner, a radio operator who also acted as gun loader, and a co-driver who also manned the hull machine gun. |
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| Tanks refueling while waiting to go on transporters, Normandy, 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. Sherman tanks await their Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) transport vehicles. Transporters were used so that tanks did not have to travel long distances to a battlefield which could wear their tracks out before going into action. The tank in the foreground is a 4th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery Artillery Observation Post (AOP) Sherman Mk V tank. It is parked next to a M4A1 Sherman Mk II tank (turret number 73, nicknamed 'Sharpshooter') of 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry's Regimental Headquarters Troop. |
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| Turretless M4 Sherman in use as recovery vehicle with sPzAbt. 508 in Italy. |
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| 'Lt. Col. W. Rankin, Capt. Dyas, L/Cpl. Voce, Sgt. Prior, Sgt. McArthur', 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe, 1944. Lieutenant-Colonel W Rankin photographed with a Mark II M4A1 Sherman tank named 'Sharpshooter', and crew, from Regimental Head Quarters Tank Troop Squadron, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1944. The Sherman tank had a crew of five consisting of a commander, the driver, a gunner, a radio operator who also acted as gun loader, and a co-driver who also manned the hull machine gun. |
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| A Dodge ¾-ton WC truck approaches a cow carcass alongside the road with an M4 medium tank at right with logs attached to its hull sides during an offensive by Combat Command 6 of the French 5th Armored Division in the Jebsheim sector. |
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| German soldiers surrender to the 3rd Infantry Division next to an M4A1 medium tank. |
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| M4 medium tanks during an offensive by Combat Command 6 of the French 5th Armored Division in the Lupstein sector. Note that two of the road wheels are spoked and the rest are solid. |
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| Another view of winter camouflage on another M4 medium tank after an offensive by Combat Command 6 of the French 5th Armored Division in the Jebsheim sector. |
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| An example of M4 medium tanks used in the indrect artillery fire role. The tanks are from the 3rd Armored Division and the nearest vehicle is named "Ink Spots". Note the accumulation of empty shipping tubes, wooden shipping boxes and assorted other items used in the shipment of the shells. Near Stolberg, Germany, late September 1944. |
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| Another view of the same M4 medium tanks being used for indirect artillery fire missions. Note the huge piles of empty shipping tubes, stacks of shipping tubes with shells, and shells ready to be fired. 3rd Armored Division, near Stolberg, Germany, late September 1944. |
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| The same M4 medium tanks as in the previous photo, in action. |
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| The same M4 medium tanks as in the previous two photos. The crew member in the foreground is carrying three shells in a special package that holds three of the shipping tubes to a cap on each end, the entire grouping held together by a rod that runs through the center of the grouping and is held in place by large wing nuts on each end; these individual pieces can be seen in the above "Ink Spots" tank photo. Also note the crewman behind the tank laying down a tarp for the shipping tubes to be laid on. |
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| The same M4 medium tank of the 3rd Armored Division during the liberation of Namur, Belgium. |
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| M4 medium tank of the 3rd Armored Division moving down a street during the liberation of Namur, Belgium. |
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| M4 medium tank of the 3rd Armored Division during the liberation of Namur, Belgium. |
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| American GIs examine a German ambulance and a PzKpfw V Panther tank left behind after La Gleize was recaptured during the Battle of the Bulge. At the extreme right is an M4 medium tank. |
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| M4 medium tanks in action in Germany, 1945. U.S. National Archives photo. |
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| M4 medium tank of the 761st Tank Battalion being recovered by a Ward La France Truck, Heavy Wrecking, M1A1 after sliding off an icy road during the winter of 1944-45. U.S. National Archives photo. |
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| M4 medium tank of the 3rd Armored Division during the liberation of Namur, Belgium. |
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| A knocked-out PzKpfw V Panther tank in La Gleize after American forces recaptured the town during the Battle of the Bulge. At right is an M4 medium tank. |
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| An American soldier from the 7th Armored Division mans the machine gun of his M4 medium tank while on maneuvers. Circa 1943. |
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| The crew of the M4 medium tank seen at left, including the same tanker as seen in the previous photo, taking a break after helping to recapture La Gleize during the Battle of the Bulge. |
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| A knocked out M4 medium tank next to a German 88mm Flak gun, Sicily, 1944. Library of Congress photo. |
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| M4 Medium Tanks move out on the road to take up the push forward, after having taken quick cover to avoid being hit by Germans bombing the road. Saint-Gilles, France. 25 July 1944. 2nd Armored Division. The nearest tank appears to have been painted in a camouflage pattern. |
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| M4 medium tank in a flooded position after heavy rain. The empty shipping tubes for the shells strewn about and piles of ammunition would indicate that this tank and the one at left were being used as indirect fire artillery. The vehicles are also angled so that they can achieve even higher firing angles. ETO. |
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| Moving up to the front less than 100 yards away, this squad of the Fourth Marine Division skirts the edge of captured Motoyama Airfield #2. Wrecked U.S. M4 medium tank at left, and a captured Japanese blockhouse at right in the background. 26 February 1945. Photographer: Sgt. B. Cooke. |
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| Riflemen fire from under a wrecked Japanese plane beyond a hill across the airstrip. Wrecked U.S. M4 medium tank in the background. Iwo Jima. February 1945. Photographer: Gene Jones. |
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| Germans field-testing captured M4 Medium Tank and M3 Medium Tank. |
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| M4 medium tank covering the advance of men of the US 60th Infantry Regiment, Belgium, 9 September 1944. |
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| Low flying C-47 transport planes roar overhead as they carry supplies to the besieged American Forces battling the Germans at Bastogne, during the enemy breakthrough on January 6, 1945 in Belgium. In the distance, smoke rises from wrecked German equipment, while in the foreground, American M4 medium tanks move up to support the infantry in the fighting. |
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| US crew of M4 medium tank making repairs. |
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| M4 medium tanks of the Sixth Marine Division probe the outskirts of Naha, capital city of Okinawa, Japan, on May 27, 1945. |
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| Marines slowly inch forward to support their M4 medium tanks as they advance to attack the Japanese strong points on the island of Peleliu, September 1944. |
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| M4 medium tanks in maneuvers in the American desert. Original color photo. |
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| An early production Grizzly tank. Aside from a Canadian registration number, there are nearly no differences from the American Medium Tank M4A1. |
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| Thunderbolt V, the first M4 tank under Abrams' command in combat. This variant is the Baldwin-built model that sported the 75mm M3 tank gun. |
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| A 3-inch hole punched through armor, made by a M61 APCBC shell fired from a M4 medium tank. Note significant site spalling. |
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| M4 flamethrower tanks, Okinawa, 1945. |
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| Members of a tank battalion with an M4 medium tank. |
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| The attack on Bloody Ridge on Okinawa of 20 April was marked by severe fighting. During the fighting on Bloody Ridge two M4 medium tanks were knocked out by Japanese artillery fire from the Pinnacle. |
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| German troops became prisoners of the Americans after crossing the Elbe River to escape from Soviet captivity. Crew of an M4 medium tank keep a watchful eye on the POWs. |
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| German troops became prisoners of the Americans after crossing the Elbe River to escape from Soviet captivity. Crew of an M4 medium tank keep a watchful eye on the POWs. |
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| A dead German soldier, killed during the German counter offensive in the Belgium-Luxembourg salient, is left behind on a street corner in Stavelot, Belgium, on January 2, 1945, as fighting moves on during the Battle of the Bulge. An M4 medium tank covered in camouflage netting and a trailer in the background. |
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| Soviet forces in Berlin, Germany, 1945. Note the M4 medium tank, and the Chevrolet G7107 leading a Studebaker US-6, in background. |
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| M4 medium tank bogged down in soft volcanic sand on Iwo Jima, 1945. Wood boards have been mounted on the upper hull sides to prevent enemy troops from placing magnetic mines on the hull. Also the spikes welded around hatches and other openings to help keep enemy troops from gaining access to the tank, and additional track links around the turret for added protection from anti-tank shells. Note the covering around the mantlet and base of main gun that would appear to be waterproofing and what may be remains of the deep wading trunking on the rear of the tank. |
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| Turret being removed from an M4 medium tank. 34th Armored Regiment, 5th Armored Division. |
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| Very early production M4A1 medium tank "Michael." |
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| PzKpfw. V Panther medium tanks from the 11th Panzer Division destroyed in battle against tanks from the U.S. 761st Tank Battalion on the road between the villages of Guebling and Bourgaltrof on 19 November 1944. Two M4 medium tanks were destroyed by the Panther. |
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| M4 medium tank, 10th Armored Division, captured and used by the Germans during the breakthrough in Luxembourg. It is shown here after it was hit by American armor and retaken by the division. 6 February 1945. |
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| M4 medium tank in German service. |
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| Knocked out and burned US M4 medium tank. |
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| US soldiers with M4 medium tanks Philippines 1945. |
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| M4 medium tank, "Cairo", Iwo Jima. |
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| M4A1 76(W) medium tank, left, and M26 heavy tank, right, of the US 32nd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division, Cologne, Germany, March 1945. |
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| The same family continues their excursion to get water, passing by another M4 medium tank. |
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| M4 medium tank “ETERNITY T”. |
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| M4 medium tank destroyed and on fire. |
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| A destroyed M4 medium tank during Operation Torch. |
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| Comparison of M4A2 medium tank with T-34. |
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| An M4A3 medium tank of the 771st Tank Battalion of the 84th “Rail Splitter” Division. This is after fighting in the German town of Linnich on February 24, 1945. |
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| Infantry with French M4 medium tank, France, 1944. |
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| M4A3(75mm) medium tanks of the 9th Armored Division in Westhausen, Germany, April 10, 1945. |
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| M4A1 (76mm) medium tank with hedgerow cutters in Pont Herbert, Normandy. |
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| Flat Car, 8-Wheeled, 40 Ton with M4 medium tanks and Bofors guns. |
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| M4 medium tank (3084932) of the US 32nd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division on a street in Cologne, Germany, March 1945. An M26 heavy tank is in the left background. Note the white flag wrapped around a pole above the M4 tank. |
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| US M4 medium tanks with a M26 heavy tank (second from left) of 2nd Armored Division, Germany, 1945. |
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| US soldiers examine M4 medium tank knocked out by German anti-tank gun, 1945. |
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| M4 Medium tank of the French 2nd Armored Division under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris during liberation celebrations, August 1944. |
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| An M4A3E8 "Easy Eight" medium tank crosses railroad tracks; the logs made it easier in crossing the tracks. |
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| Captured M4 medium tank, with German notation on hull side: "Don’t cannibalize, for Okh-Wa.Pru, captured by I/Pz.Rgt.5." Tunisia, 1943. |
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| Captured American M4A3 medium tank, Ardennes, January 1945. It was used by 5th Paratroop Jäger Division, along with five more. |
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| M4 medium tank "Bed Bug" '20A' with Marines from the 24th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Iwo Jima. |
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| Kwajalein Atoll, 2 February 1944: Private First Class N. E. Carling of the 4th Marine Battalion, stands beside the M4A2 medium tank "Killer" on which is mounted a knocked-out Japanese Type 94 Tankette. |
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| US M4 medium tank disguised to look like a truck from aerial observation. |
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| Captured M4 Medium Tank in German service. |
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| M4 medium tanks of the US 784th Tank Battalion depart Venlo, Holland, for the drive into Germany. |
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| Captured M4 medium tank, with German notation on hull side: "Don’t cannibalize, for Okh-Wa.Pru, captured by I/Pz.Rgt.5." Tunisia, 1943. |
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| Between 28 March and 3 April 1945, at Aschaffenburg, Germany, during the final stage of the fighting, there was an encounter between a M36 tank destroyer of the 645th Tank Destroyer Battalion and this captured M4A3 (76) tank being used by the Germans. Besides the German crosses, the words “Beute panzer” (captured tank) were painted on the M4A3 (76) to prevent German troops from firing on it. It was knocked out by a 90mm hit on the glacis plate evident above the right headlight. The body of the vehicle’s driver is sprawled across the front of the vehicle. |
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| A day after they were disabled in an attack on San Pietro, several American M4 medium tanks are recovered. |
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| US crew with M4 medium tank (3016264-S). Note aerial recognition panel on rear deck. |
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