The American M4 Sherman Tank Tanks are widely used in wars to infiltrate enemy lines. They are used in the front lines of battle. The troops behind the tanks feel almost impenetrable running behind these machines. Tanks can ride on all terrain, they have “caterpillar” tracks to handle anything. While researching texts written about the M4 Sherman Tank, I found a few resources that really focused on why the M4 Sherman Tank was such a good tank. This specific tank changed how World War II was fought. The M4 Sherman tank was a winner by quantity, not by quality. This tank was the most widely used tank by the United States. When the US entered World War II it did not have a modern tank, even the latest existing designs were obsolete …show more content…
compared to the modern German tanks. This tank was widely used by the United States allies. My goal in this paper is to explain to you why the American M4 Sherman Tank is the best prepared, most important, most advanced, most versatile, and arguably the best medium tank of World War II. Germans were supposed to have developed the best tanks in the war. Germans thought that armour and firepower were the main things to focus on in a tank. But armour and lethality don't tell the whole story. The M4 tank came along and destroyed the German tanks, not by quality but quantity. The M4 Sherman packed a 75-millimeter gun.
The Army’s scouts, preferred a fast-moving tank that could speed through gaps in enemy lines (Mizokami). These tanks couldn’t start being produced until after The Great Depression. This tank required a five man team, one of the smallest size groups needed to run a tank. All German tanks needed a seven man team. Since the Sherman needed two less people we could operate more tanks with less people. The Sherman gained improvements from an old US tank, the Grant. These improvements helped edge out the other German tanks. The Sherman would remain the main American tank for the rest of the war (Mizokami). The Sherman featured a one of a kind ammunition storage. The “wet storage” is an area that is filled with water where extra ammo is stored to diminish the massive explosions from a direct hit. The water prohibits the ammo from heating up and exploding (Mizokami). The one inch steel hull was added to even better the protection of the stored ammo. The US built over fifty thousand of the M4 Shermans. With this mass production we could out number the German tanks four to one. Also if every Sherman tank was destroyed there was three more to replace that one. The Sherman used its magnitude to beat the enemy. On paper the German T-34 Tiger was the best tank. On the battlefield the M4 Sherman was the …show more content…
best. The Sherman could shoot 14-pound projectiles at 1,773 miles per hour.
This was one of the fastest projectile speeds in all of tanks. The Sherman was considered a medium tank. This meant that is was fast but also had armour. This was one of the only medium tanks in the war. This meant that four of them could take out a “heavy” tank which was just about armor and firepower. This tank was also ones of its fastest in its class. The steel in the front that protected the driver was three inches thick, it was almost impenetrable. The tank was bottom heavy so it would never flip. The tank also featured a vision slot for the driver that was wide enough to see almost a full 180 degrees around the tank. The Sherman was one of the best built tanks of the war. From examining the resources I used, I can say that the M4 Sherman was truly the best tank of the war. It would be interesting to see other authors that have the same feeling that I do about this topic. I hope I explained my stance on the Sherman tank in World War II. That is why the American M4 Sherman Tank is the best prepared, most important, niftiest, and arguably the best medium tank of World War
II.
The men of the 714th Tank Battalion served their country in its greatest time of need. A key element of the 12th Armored Division, the 714th fought in harsh conditions against a desperate German enemy for five consecutive months, driving the Nazi Armies from France and back into the German heartland.
World War Warfare was one of the greatest examples of technological advancement and strategic challenge, with the introduction of inventions such as the aircraft and the tank the battlefield transformed from attrition as scene in the early years of the war to decisive by the end of the war.
In the summer of 1944, General George S. Patton and his 3rd Army successfully broke through heavy German Forces resistance from the Normandy invasion. German forces were in total disarray by the end of August 1944. Patton pleaded with his boss, General Omar Bradley, that if 3rd U.S. Army could be allocated as little as 400,000 gallons of fuel, he could be inside Germany in two days. Time was crucial before the inevitable reaction by the Germans to shore up their defense, preventing Patton from advancing. General Bradley refused Patton's request for more fuel; Unfortunately, General Patton advanced to Germany. Morale ran high throughout Patton’s Army, and there was no sign of heavy resistance before the German border. Consequently, by early September, the 3rd U.S Army had ground to a virtual halt along the flooded Moselle River. In places, Patton's tanks and vehicles ran out of fuel on the battlefield and their swift momentum outran their supply lines (Fugate, 1999). Lack of logistics allowed the German forces to take advantage of Patton’s Army and initiate one of the largest tank battles of World War II, the Battle of Arracourt.
Army. Unfortunately fratricide was a reoccurring issue during this battle as well. Due to the lack of training and knowledge of aircraft identification, American AAA gunners and infantryman shot down several friendly planes in the heat of this battle, including several easily identifiable P-38 fighter planes. Those mistakes could have easily been avoided had the soldiers of that time been instructed of proper identification of both friendly and enemy targets. The primary focus of the battle of Kasserine was that of a technical aspect, and in no form tactical. Aside from poor aircraft identification, there was also minimal training in combining air support with maneuvering ground troops on the battle field. This supreme poverty of training in turn led to yet more fratricide and loss of friendly life. A positive lesson learned was that the most effective means of Air Defense during the battle was the use of mounting two and four .50-caliber M2 machine guns on half-tracks. One aspect that proved to be ineffective was the 37mm guns, which failed to stop or destroy the German tanks. Aware of this fact, the U.S. Army began the development of armor piercing shells and anti-tank guns. The U.S. Army was mindful of the shortcomings during the battle of Kasserine Pass and only weeks after refined and revamped its tactics and strategies in air support, amour fighting, and artillery. Due to weapon
Weather is always a factor in any battle. Commanders must always consider the effects of equipment and personnel in any type of environment. When we rely on a piece of equipment that requires a dry environment, such as a tank, planning a battle during a wet season may not be the most suitable decision.
The U. S. Soldiers used the M-79 40mm, also known as the thumper, which looked like a sawed shotgun. It could fire up to 300 meters and fire a 6.5 pound grenade. The M-72 is a BBMM light anti-tank weapon that weighs 5.2 pounds. It was also used as a bunker buster and fired a 1 kg rocket that could travel 300 meters. (173dairborne)”
There were many advances in weaponry, such as rifled muskets, during the Civil War. The increased accuracy and range made repeatedly attacking an enemy using Napoleonic tactics very difficult. Combatants slugged it out at an average of 116 yards; only slightly longer than the 80-100 yards usually seen with smoothbore muskets and half the range these rifles were capable of. Casualties were especially heavy at the 1863 Battles of Shiloh and Antietam. ...
Most Southern soldiers could fire their muzzleloaders at three rounds per minute. The Spencer shattered the Confederate weapon and boosted the fire rate to 14 rounds per minute with the weapons built in primer. In addition to being such a powerful asset when in control by the Union forces, the Spencer was also helpful when scavengers from the Confederacy tried to fire the weapon.... ... middle of paper ... ...
The Spanish and English forces had rising tensions following the establishment of the Georgia Colony by James Oglethorpe and the Trustees. These hostilities were due to the land (Georgia Colony) in the middle of South Carolina and Florida. The Battle of Bloody Marsh was one fight within a larger war known as the War of Jenkin’s Ear. The English’s victory in the Battle of Bloody Marsh was significant in regards to Georgia’s history. The Battle of Bloody Marsh was the Spanish’s sole attempt to invade Georgia territory. As can be seen, the Spanish were unsuccessful. The Battle of Bloody Marsh served as redemption for James Oglethorpe. Two years prior to the Battle of Bloody Marsh, Oglethorpe was defeated at St. Augustine. As a result, Oglethorpe’s
Dawson states that one aspect of modern war is having advanced artillery. During the Civil War, Americans did have the modern technology needed for a modern war. Their artillery was improved; they started using single-shot muzzle loading rifles, which were a major advance over the smooth bore muskets. Dawson claims this led to battlefields that were bigger than before since the new muskets had a longer range. Griffith argues that statement saying, “Even with these wonderful new weapons, in fact, it remains doubtful that a genuine revolution in firepower had actually occurred.” The new rifles did not make as much an impact as Dawson claimed. The new musket could fire accurately and at three times the distance but it was not until late in the war that all soldiers had the improved musket. Furthermore, the rifle tended t...
The. Johnson, David E. Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1998. Print. The. "
...also being used. 1st Division had done well supporting the troops by making ease of the passing of impassable obstacles. Though by the end of the first day, what tanks did not bog down in German trenches were now out of gas.
That gun was very mobile because it could be moved around by the horses because it was on wheels. I give these men lots of credit for going out there and fighting like they did. Many really did not know why they were fighting, and they still fought with courage. And with a total of 620,000 casualties, a lot of men did not come home. Bibliography 1 -. "The Civil War", Ken Burns, 1994, tape 5, "Weapons of the Civil War" 2. "The Civil War", CD-ROM, by Matthew Brady, Rom-Man Technologies, 1995.
His caution was justified; within minutes, the Sherman rounded a curve in the road and almost drove over a squad of SS troops trying to set up a roadblock. The infantrymen riding on the tank opened fire, as did the Sherman’s bow machine gunner and Gangel’s troops in the truck, and the SS troops fled into the surrounding woods. Lee ordered his driver to “open her up,” and the tank slued around another corner and up the road to the castle, the Wehrmacht truck close behind. Roaring over the short bridge at the top of the road, the vehicles lurched to a stop directly in front of Itter’s main gate as night began to fall.
...ilities of the tanks being penetrated were slim. Also there was an addition of an anti-craft gun which made it even more powerful and unstoppable (Slayton 103).