Book Review of
Sherman Tanks of the Red Army
The American Vehicle in Soviet Service
Author: Peter Samsonov
Gallantry Books
ISBN: 9781911658474
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $19.99
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $19.99
HISTORY:
The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers.
It was also the basis of several successful tank destroyers, such as the M10, 17pdr SP Achilles and M36B1. Tens of thousands were distributed through the Lend-Lease program to the British Commonwealth and Soviet Union. The tank was named by the British for the American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman. The M4 Sherman evolved from the M3 Medium Tank, which – for speed of development – had its main armament in a side sponson mount. The M4 retained much of the previous mechanical design, but moved the main 75 mm gun into a fully traversing central turret.
One feature, a one-axis gyrostabilizer, was not precise enough to allow firing when moving but did help keep the reticle on target, so that when the tank did stop to fire, the gun would be aimed in roughly the right direction. The designers stressed mechanical reliability, ease of production and maintenance, durability, standardization of parts and ammunition in a limited number of variants, and moderate size and weight (its width and weight were designed to conform with the War Department restrictions at the time that aimed to ease shipping problems and ensure armored vehicles would be compatible with existing bridging equipment.
These factors, combined with the Sherman's then-superior armor and armament, outclassed German light and medium tanks fielded in 1939–42. The M4 went on to be produced in large numbers, being the most produced tank in American history, coming in at 49,324 produced (including variants): During World War II, the Sherman spearheaded many offensives by the Western Allies after 1942.
When the M4 tank went into combat in North Africa with the British Army at the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942, it increased the advantage of Allied armor over Axis armor and was superior to the lighter German and Italian tank designs. For this reason, the US Army believed that the M4 would be adequate to win the war, and relatively little pressure was initially exerted for further tank development.
Logistical and transport restrictions, such as limitations imposed by roads, ports, and bridges, also complicated the introduction of a more capable but heavier tank. Tank destroyer battalions using vehicles built on the M4 hull and chassis, but with open-topped turrets and more potent high-velocity guns, also entered widespread use in the Allied armies.
Even by 1944, most M4 Sherman's kept their dual-purpose 75 mm gun. By then, the M4 was inferior in firepower and armor to increasing numbers of German heavy tanks, but was able to fight on with the help of considerable numerical superiority, greater mechanical reliability, better logistical support, and support from growing numbers of fighter-bombers and artillery pieces. Some Sherman's were produced with a more armor-piercing gun, the 76 mm gun M1, refitted with a 76.2mm caliber Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun by the British (the Sherman Firefly), or given a 105mm gun to act as infantry support vehicles.
The relative ease of production allowed large numbers of the M4 to be manufactured, and significant investment in tank recovery and repair units allowed disabled vehicles to be repaired and returned to service quickly. These factors combined to give the Allies numerical superiority in most battles, and many infantry divisions were provided with M4s and tank destroyers.
After World War II, the Sherman, particularly the many improved and upgraded versions, continued to see combat service in many conflicts around the world, including the UN forces in the Korean War, with Israel in the Arab–Israeli wars, briefly with South Vietnam in the Vietnam War, and on both sides of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Medium tank
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1942–1957 (United States)
Used by: United States, and many others
Wars: World War II, Indonesian National Revolution, Greek Civil War, First Indochina War, 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Korean War, Cuban Revolution, Revolución Libertadora, Suez Crisis, 1958 Lebanon crisis, Nicaraguan Revolution, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Six-Day War, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Yom Kippur War, Lebanese Civil War, Uganda–Tanzania War, Iran–Iraq War
Designer: U.S. Army Ordnance Department
Designed: 1940
Manufacturer: American Locomotive Company, Baldwin Locomotive Works, Detroit Tank Arsenal, Federal Machine and Welder Company, Fisher Tank Arsenal, Ford Motor Company, Lima Locomotive Works, Pacific Car and Foundry Company, Pressed Steel Car Company, Pullman-Standard Car Company
Unit cost: $44,556–64,455 in 1945 dollars, depending upon variant ($607,861–879,336 in 2017 dollars)
Produced: September 1941 (prototype), February 1942 – July 1945.
No. built: 49,234, excluding prototype
Mass: 66,800–84,000 lb. (33.4-42.0 short tons, 30.3–38.1 tons) depending upon variant
Length: 19 ft. 2 in–20 ft. 7 in (5.84–6.27 m) depending upon variant
Width:A8 ft. 7 in (2.62 m) to 9 ft. 10 in (3.00 m) depending upon variant
Height: 9 ft. 0 in–9 ft. 9 in (2.74–2.97 m) depending upon variant
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, assistant driver/bow gunner)
Armor: 12.7 to 177.8 mm (0.50 to 7.00 in) depending on location and variant
Main armament: 75 mm gun M3 (90–104 rounds) or76 mm gun M1A1, M1A1C, or M1A2 (71 rounds) or 105 mm howitzer M4 (66 rounds)[3]
Secondary armament: .50 caliber Browning M2HB machine gun (300–600 rounds), 2×.30 caliber Browning M1919A4 machine guns (6,000–6,750 rounds)
Engine: M4 and M4A1 model: Continental R975-C1 or -C4 9 cylinder radial gasoline engine, 350 or 400 hp. (261 or 298 kW) at 2,400 rpm, M4A2 model: General Motors 6046 twin inline diesel engine; 375 hp. (280 kW) at 2,100 rpm, M4A3 model: Ford GAA V8 gasoline engine; 450 hp. (336 kW) at 2,600 rpm, M4A4 model: gasoline engine; 370 hp. (276 kW) at 2,400 rpm, M4A6 model: Caterpillar D-200A (Wright RD-1820) 9 cylinder radial diesel engine; 450 hp. (336 kW) at 2,400 rpm
Power/weight: 10.46–13.49 hp./short ton (8.60–11.09 kW/t) depending upon variant.
Transmission: Spicer manual synchromesh transmission, 5 forward and 1 reverse gears.
Suspension: Vertical volute spring suspension (VVSS) or horizontal volute spring suspension (HVSS)
Fuel capacity: 138–175 US gal (520–660 l; 115–146 imp gal) depending upon variant.
Operational range: 100–150 mi (160–240 km) on road depending upon variant.
Maximum speed: 22–30 mph (35–48 km/h) on road, depending upon variant.
THE BOOK:
Gallantry Books is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 123 pages in 7 ¼” x 9 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Soviet M4A2 Sherman moving across a gassy field. In the background there is smoke and fire around a destroyed steel suspension bridge.
The Sherman is overall olive-drab, with no markings shown. The tank commander is standing in the top turret hatch and looking at the fire. He wears a green uniform and a black leather helmet.
The book contains 35 color photographs. 17 are of the walk-around type. There are 47 black and white photos, counting also the back cover of the book.
There are 11 maintenance manual excerpts in the book, one line drawing, a one page GLOSSARY, 5 pages of NOTES, a 4 page INDEX and 8 color side-view profiles, all of the M4A2 type.
The first page of the book has a color portrait photo of the Author Peter Samsonov. He is a Russian-Canadian military historian with a focus on WWII era armored warfare. In addition to running the renowned Tank Archives blog, he writes articles for various online and print publications, based on English, Russian and German language primary documents.
This is a neat book on the Sherman in Lend Lease service with Russia. It will be of interest to modelers planning on building a Sherman and to military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N.American distributor of Gallantry Books and all Gallantry titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web-site at:
The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers.
It was also the basis of several successful tank destroyers, such as the M10, 17pdr SP Achilles and M36B1. Tens of thousands were distributed through the Lend-Lease program to the British Commonwealth and Soviet Union. The tank was named by the British for the American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman. The M4 Sherman evolved from the M3 Medium Tank, which – for speed of development – had its main armament in a side sponson mount. The M4 retained much of the previous mechanical design, but moved the main 75 mm gun into a fully traversing central turret.
One feature, a one-axis gyrostabilizer, was not precise enough to allow firing when moving but did help keep the reticle on target, so that when the tank did stop to fire, the gun would be aimed in roughly the right direction. The designers stressed mechanical reliability, ease of production and maintenance, durability, standardization of parts and ammunition in a limited number of variants, and moderate size and weight (its width and weight were designed to conform with the War Department restrictions at the time that aimed to ease shipping problems and ensure armored vehicles would be compatible with existing bridging equipment.
These factors, combined with the Sherman's then-superior armor and armament, outclassed German light and medium tanks fielded in 1939–42. The M4 went on to be produced in large numbers, being the most produced tank in American history, coming in at 49,324 produced (including variants): During World War II, the Sherman spearheaded many offensives by the Western Allies after 1942.
When the M4 tank went into combat in North Africa with the British Army at the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942, it increased the advantage of Allied armor over Axis armor and was superior to the lighter German and Italian tank designs. For this reason, the US Army believed that the M4 would be adequate to win the war, and relatively little pressure was initially exerted for further tank development.
Logistical and transport restrictions, such as limitations imposed by roads, ports, and bridges, also complicated the introduction of a more capable but heavier tank. Tank destroyer battalions using vehicles built on the M4 hull and chassis, but with open-topped turrets and more potent high-velocity guns, also entered widespread use in the Allied armies.
Even by 1944, most M4 Sherman's kept their dual-purpose 75 mm gun. By then, the M4 was inferior in firepower and armor to increasing numbers of German heavy tanks, but was able to fight on with the help of considerable numerical superiority, greater mechanical reliability, better logistical support, and support from growing numbers of fighter-bombers and artillery pieces. Some Sherman's were produced with a more armor-piercing gun, the 76 mm gun M1, refitted with a 76.2mm caliber Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun by the British (the Sherman Firefly), or given a 105mm gun to act as infantry support vehicles.
The relative ease of production allowed large numbers of the M4 to be manufactured, and significant investment in tank recovery and repair units allowed disabled vehicles to be repaired and returned to service quickly. These factors combined to give the Allies numerical superiority in most battles, and many infantry divisions were provided with M4s and tank destroyers.
After World War II, the Sherman, particularly the many improved and upgraded versions, continued to see combat service in many conflicts around the world, including the UN forces in the Korean War, with Israel in the Arab–Israeli wars, briefly with South Vietnam in the Vietnam War, and on both sides of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Medium tank
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1942–1957 (United States)
Used by: United States, and many others
Wars: World War II, Indonesian National Revolution, Greek Civil War, First Indochina War, 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Korean War, Cuban Revolution, Revolución Libertadora, Suez Crisis, 1958 Lebanon crisis, Nicaraguan Revolution, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Six-Day War, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Yom Kippur War, Lebanese Civil War, Uganda–Tanzania War, Iran–Iraq War
Designer: U.S. Army Ordnance Department
Designed: 1940
Manufacturer: American Locomotive Company, Baldwin Locomotive Works, Detroit Tank Arsenal, Federal Machine and Welder Company, Fisher Tank Arsenal, Ford Motor Company, Lima Locomotive Works, Pacific Car and Foundry Company, Pressed Steel Car Company, Pullman-Standard Car Company
Unit cost: $44,556–64,455 in 1945 dollars, depending upon variant ($607,861–879,336 in 2017 dollars)
Produced: September 1941 (prototype), February 1942 – July 1945.
No. built: 49,234, excluding prototype
Mass: 66,800–84,000 lb. (33.4-42.0 short tons, 30.3–38.1 tons) depending upon variant
Length: 19 ft. 2 in–20 ft. 7 in (5.84–6.27 m) depending upon variant
Width:A8 ft. 7 in (2.62 m) to 9 ft. 10 in (3.00 m) depending upon variant
Height: 9 ft. 0 in–9 ft. 9 in (2.74–2.97 m) depending upon variant
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, assistant driver/bow gunner)
Armor: 12.7 to 177.8 mm (0.50 to 7.00 in) depending on location and variant
Main armament: 75 mm gun M3 (90–104 rounds) or76 mm gun M1A1, M1A1C, or M1A2 (71 rounds) or 105 mm howitzer M4 (66 rounds)[3]
Secondary armament: .50 caliber Browning M2HB machine gun (300–600 rounds), 2×.30 caliber Browning M1919A4 machine guns (6,000–6,750 rounds)
Engine: M4 and M4A1 model: Continental R975-C1 or -C4 9 cylinder radial gasoline engine, 350 or 400 hp. (261 or 298 kW) at 2,400 rpm, M4A2 model: General Motors 6046 twin inline diesel engine; 375 hp. (280 kW) at 2,100 rpm, M4A3 model: Ford GAA V8 gasoline engine; 450 hp. (336 kW) at 2,600 rpm, M4A4 model: gasoline engine; 370 hp. (276 kW) at 2,400 rpm, M4A6 model: Caterpillar D-200A (Wright RD-1820) 9 cylinder radial diesel engine; 450 hp. (336 kW) at 2,400 rpm
Power/weight: 10.46–13.49 hp./short ton (8.60–11.09 kW/t) depending upon variant.
Transmission: Spicer manual synchromesh transmission, 5 forward and 1 reverse gears.
Suspension: Vertical volute spring suspension (VVSS) or horizontal volute spring suspension (HVSS)
Fuel capacity: 138–175 US gal (520–660 l; 115–146 imp gal) depending upon variant.
Operational range: 100–150 mi (160–240 km) on road depending upon variant.
Maximum speed: 22–30 mph (35–48 km/h) on road, depending upon variant.
THE BOOK:
Gallantry Books is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 123 pages in 7 ¼” x 9 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a Soviet M4A2 Sherman moving across a gassy field. In the background there is smoke and fire around a destroyed steel suspension bridge.
The Sherman is overall olive-drab, with no markings shown. The tank commander is standing in the top turret hatch and looking at the fire. He wears a green uniform and a black leather helmet.
The book contains 35 color photographs. 17 are of the walk-around type. There are 47 black and white photos, counting also the back cover of the book.
There are 11 maintenance manual excerpts in the book, one line drawing, a one page GLOSSARY, 5 pages of NOTES, a 4 page INDEX and 8 color side-view profiles, all of the M4A2 type.
The first page of the book has a color portrait photo of the Author Peter Samsonov. He is a Russian-Canadian military historian with a focus on WWII era armored warfare. In addition to running the renowned Tank Archives blog, he writes articles for various online and print publications, based on English, Russian and German language primary documents.
This is a neat book on the Sherman in Lend Lease service with Russia. It will be of interest to modelers planning on building a Sherman and to military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N.American distributor of Gallantry Books and all Gallantry titles can be viewed on Casemate’s web-site at:
Highly recommended.