Unlike earlier dry stowage tanks, the castings themselves on these vehicles were thickened over the vulnerable areas.īeginning in August 1943, the Montreal Locomotive Works began production of the M4A1. About 100 M4A1s were built with the 47° glacis and dry stowage, and all of these were armed with the 75mm gun M3. In late 1943, M4A1 hulls were changed to incorporate larger drivers' hatches and a thicker 2.5" (6.4cm) glacis inclined at 47° instead of 56°. All three systems could be installed into the same bracket in the turret. Of these, the Oilgear was preferred due to its smoothness, sensitivity to control inputs, and resistance to different amounts of friction along the turret's traverse. Three power traverse systems were authorized for use: an electric system by Westinghouse, and hydraulic systems by Oilgear and Logansport. Inside, ammunition was no longer attached to the turret basket wall, and the ammunition racks were surrounded by. After some battle experience with tanks with dry ammunition stowage, 1"- (2.5cm-) thick applique armor was welded over the sponson ammunition racks and to the turret on the right of the gun mount where interior armor had been ground away to make room for the gunner's controls. The main gun in the first M4A1s built was the 75mm M2, which was shorter than the M3 and needed double counterweights on the end of the barrel to be compatible with the tank's gyrostabilizer. A cupola for the tank commander later replaced his circular split hatch. 50cal machine gun mount on the commander's split hatch had two positions: placed forward it could elevate from -25° to +56°, while in the rear position it could elevate from +36° to +80°. Originally, there was only one turret hatch (the commander's) in the 75mm gun turret, but a small oval hatch for the loader was introduced in production in October 1943, and retrofit kits were developed for tanks built before the loader's hatch was designed. The new bogies had 8" (20cm) diameter springs, 1" (2.5cm) larger than the springs of the earlier type. Heavy-duty suspension bogies, with the return roller on the rear of the bogie instead of on top like earlier bogies, were introduced by summer 1942. Also seen on early tanks were spoked idler and road wheels, three-piece differential and final drive housing, two fuel shutoff valves on the rear deck, removable headlights, vision slots for the drivers in the glacis plate, and the siren was placed on the left front fender or under a bracket just offset to the left of the glacis centerline. The driver's machine guns were eliminated on March 6, 1942. These could be locked at any elevation between +8° and -6°. 30cal M1919A4 machine guns in the hull which were operated by the driver. M4A1 had twin square muffler tailpipes at the top of the rear hull above the air cleaners, a steel-covered air intake behind the turret, and solid engine access doors in the rear deck behind the turret.Įarly Shermans-cast and welded hull-were built with twin fixed. There are twin engine access doors in the rear hull and air cleaners at the top corners of these doors. Other identifying features of M4A1, which it shares with M4, are the rear of the tank and engine access panels. This makes it the easiest of Sherman tanks to identify. Known to the British as Sherman II, the M4A1's cast upper hull gave it distinctive rounded edges. ![]() The medium tank M4 shared many components with the interim medium tank M3, including the suspension, lower hull, and power train. Outside guide, double pin, chevron, steel Outside guide, double pin, smooth, rubber Outside guide, double pin, parallel bar, steel Outside guide, double pin, chevron, rubber Upper cast, lower rolled and cast homogeneous steelĬontinental R975 C1 9 cylinder, 4 cycle, static radial, supercharged gasoline ![]() Medium Tank M4A1 Sherman, early production 1-12 M4A1: General
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