The Army's War Horse

The Army's War Horse. The M4 Series Sherman Tank. , The Sherman tank received a brutal initiation to warfare when the U.S. Army first took it into combat on December 6, 1942 against the Germans in the North African country of Tunisia. They quickly found that the Germans’ guns and larger tanks easily outdid the Sherman with its thin armor and low velocity gun., As the Sherman tank design matured throughout the war, so did its usefulness. The intended role of the U.S. medium tank was to support infantry. For the D-Day invasion, “Duplex Drive” Sherman’s (sic), surrounded by watertight material that stretched above the tank, were designed to float ashore guided by propellers. In the Pacific campaigns, the Sherman’s guns and size easily overpowered the smaller Japanese light tanks helping to secure the beachheads., In spite of early limitations, the Sherman chassis was the platform for everything from tanks to bridge transports. the Sherman was easy to maneuver and maintain and was quickly produced in large numbers. it became the main battle tank of the Allies, used by Britain, Canada, and other countries. The Sherman Battle Tank was American armored forces most significant contribution to the Allied victory in World war II., In mechanical endurance and ease of maintenance, our tanks are infinitely superior to any other. , General George S. Patton