Book Review of
Sherman The M4 Tank in WWII
Author: Michel Esteve
Casemate Illustrated Special
ISBN: 978-1-61200-739-7
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $49.95
ISBN: 978-1-61200-739-7
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $49.95
HISTORY:
The Medium Tank M4, better known to the British as the Sherman, was the most widely used medium tank used by the United States and western Allies in WWII. Reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and easy to maintain, thousands were distributed to the British Commonwealth and the Soviet Union by the Lend-Lease program.
It first saw combat in North Africa, where it outclassed lighter German and Italian tanks. By 1944 the M4 was outgunned by the German heavy tanks, but it still contributed to the fight when deployed in numbers and supported by artillery and fighter-bombers.
THE BOOK:
Casemate is a book distributor and book publisher based in Pennsylvania.
This book is hard-bound of 240 pages in 8 ½” x 11” page format.
The cover-art shows 3 color photos and 1 black and white one.
The color photo at the top shows a Sherman III Armoured Recovery Vehicle in the summer of 1944, during the Caen Offensive. This tank was with the 79th Armoured Div., accompanying Canadian units.
Below on the left is a black and white photo of a line-up of French Army Shermans, with slogans “Austerlitz”, “Moskowa”, “Montmirail”,”Montereau II” (a 75mm) and “Arcis-sur aube” in front of the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the Champs-Elysees, during the grand parade on September 8, 1944. These tanks belonged to the 501st Regiment de-Chars de Combat. The slogans are the names of battles of the 1814 French campaign.
In the center is a color photo of a M3 Sherman crew of the 1st Armoured Div. patiently stowing ammo on their tank,
The color photo on the right shows a Sherman M4A1 fitted with a M17 rocket-launcher in Italy. The crew is resting and reading their mail.
The back cover of the book has one color photo and 4 black and white ones on it.
The color photo at the top shows a color photo of a M4A1 in Italy, winter 1943.
The 2nd photo in black and white shows a 3rd Div. M4 Sherman on October 14th, 1944, at Stolberg, Germany, with a load of infantrymen on top of it, that are probably from the 36th Infantry Div.
The 3rd photo in black and white shows a Sherman M4A1 from the 756th Battalion – a unit attached to the 3rd US Infantry Div. halted in the streets of Lure, in Haube-Soone, France, during the liberation of this town on September 16, 1944.
The 4th photo in black and white on the left at the bottom shows a M4 Sherman equipped with additional armor made from tank links on Okinawa in 1945.
The last photo in black and white on the lower right shows M4A2 Shermans moving across a field in Germany in April 1945. They are with the 9th Armoured Div.
The book contains 67 color photos and 259 black and white ones. Three data lists. A color photo of a tech manual for a M4A2.
There are 127 color profiles, showing variants of turrets and dashboards.
The first black and white photo is of William Tecumseh Sherman who the tank was named after. A Civil War vet.
There is a cross-section profile of a M4 Sherman, 42 technical manual illustrations, 14 photos of Sherman interiors, illustrations of track variants, 6 color illustrations of M4 Sherman engine deck variants, a color French cartoon, 3 data lists, color photos of tank crew men’s leather helmets and throat mikes, 2 photos of radios, a color map of Normandy Beach, 243 color illustrations of unit badges for the U.S., UK, Canada, France, Poland, USSR and New Zealand. The majority of them are French.
A photo of a fuel truck, a Red Ball Express poster, color illustrations of the flags of 25 countries, illustrations of German Wehrmacht Arms symbols and NATO post-war symbols.
A Sherman mounted with a crane, 3 with bulldozer blades, 13 with calliope rocket launchers mounted, illustrations of machine gun variants & their ammo boxes and pouches.
A wood faccine layer attachment, 5 photos of a bridge-layer attachment, 6 with a hedge-row cutter attachment, 12 with mine rollers, 9 with chain mine flails, 7 that are flamethrowers.
Thirteen photos of Sherman's mounted with deep water wading funnels & 4 with canvas fold down sides.
A Red Ball Express sign that says “Red Ball Highway, Stay on the ball, Keep em rolling!”
This is one neat journal about the Sherman tanks. It will be of great interest to modelers contemplating building a Sherman variant and also of interest to military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Casemate books and the books of other publishers that they distribute can be viewed on their website at:
The Medium Tank M4, better known to the British as the Sherman, was the most widely used medium tank used by the United States and western Allies in WWII. Reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and easy to maintain, thousands were distributed to the British Commonwealth and the Soviet Union by the Lend-Lease program.
It first saw combat in North Africa, where it outclassed lighter German and Italian tanks. By 1944 the M4 was outgunned by the German heavy tanks, but it still contributed to the fight when deployed in numbers and supported by artillery and fighter-bombers.
THE BOOK:
Casemate is a book distributor and book publisher based in Pennsylvania.
This book is hard-bound of 240 pages in 8 ½” x 11” page format.
The cover-art shows 3 color photos and 1 black and white one.
The color photo at the top shows a Sherman III Armoured Recovery Vehicle in the summer of 1944, during the Caen Offensive. This tank was with the 79th Armoured Div., accompanying Canadian units.
Below on the left is a black and white photo of a line-up of French Army Shermans, with slogans “Austerlitz”, “Moskowa”, “Montmirail”,”Montereau II” (a 75mm) and “Arcis-sur aube” in front of the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the Champs-Elysees, during the grand parade on September 8, 1944. These tanks belonged to the 501st Regiment de-Chars de Combat. The slogans are the names of battles of the 1814 French campaign.
In the center is a color photo of a M3 Sherman crew of the 1st Armoured Div. patiently stowing ammo on their tank,
The color photo on the right shows a Sherman M4A1 fitted with a M17 rocket-launcher in Italy. The crew is resting and reading their mail.
The back cover of the book has one color photo and 4 black and white ones on it.
The color photo at the top shows a color photo of a M4A1 in Italy, winter 1943.
The 2nd photo in black and white shows a 3rd Div. M4 Sherman on October 14th, 1944, at Stolberg, Germany, with a load of infantrymen on top of it, that are probably from the 36th Infantry Div.
The 3rd photo in black and white shows a Sherman M4A1 from the 756th Battalion – a unit attached to the 3rd US Infantry Div. halted in the streets of Lure, in Haube-Soone, France, during the liberation of this town on September 16, 1944.
The 4th photo in black and white on the left at the bottom shows a M4 Sherman equipped with additional armor made from tank links on Okinawa in 1945.
The last photo in black and white on the lower right shows M4A2 Shermans moving across a field in Germany in April 1945. They are with the 9th Armoured Div.
The book contains 67 color photos and 259 black and white ones. Three data lists. A color photo of a tech manual for a M4A2.
There are 127 color profiles, showing variants of turrets and dashboards.
The first black and white photo is of William Tecumseh Sherman who the tank was named after. A Civil War vet.
There is a cross-section profile of a M4 Sherman, 42 technical manual illustrations, 14 photos of Sherman interiors, illustrations of track variants, 6 color illustrations of M4 Sherman engine deck variants, a color French cartoon, 3 data lists, color photos of tank crew men’s leather helmets and throat mikes, 2 photos of radios, a color map of Normandy Beach, 243 color illustrations of unit badges for the U.S., UK, Canada, France, Poland, USSR and New Zealand. The majority of them are French.
A photo of a fuel truck, a Red Ball Express poster, color illustrations of the flags of 25 countries, illustrations of German Wehrmacht Arms symbols and NATO post-war symbols.
A Sherman mounted with a crane, 3 with bulldozer blades, 13 with calliope rocket launchers mounted, illustrations of machine gun variants & their ammo boxes and pouches.
A wood faccine layer attachment, 5 photos of a bridge-layer attachment, 6 with a hedge-row cutter attachment, 12 with mine rollers, 9 with chain mine flails, 7 that are flamethrowers.
Thirteen photos of Sherman's mounted with deep water wading funnels & 4 with canvas fold down sides.
A Red Ball Express sign that says “Red Ball Highway, Stay on the ball, Keep em rolling!”
This is one neat journal about the Sherman tanks. It will be of great interest to modelers contemplating building a Sherman variant and also of interest to military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Casemate books and the books of other publishers that they distribute can be viewed on their website at:
Highly recommended.