M4 Sherman variants

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The following is an extensive catalogue of the variants and specific unique elements of each variant and/or design stage of the M4 Sherman tank. For a broader article on the history of the M4, see M4 Sherman.

1 Overview
2 US Variants
3 UK and Commonwealth Variants
- 3.1 UK Nomenclature
- 3.2 UK Variants
4 Soviet Lend-Lease
5 Post War Variants
6 Gallery
7 References and external links

[edit] Overview

When the Sherman Tank was initially created it was designed around US theory about how medium tanks, and full-track armored vehicles in general, should be utilized on the battlefield. The medium tank's job was to assist infantry in the assault and provide a base of fire to fight from. Taking on enemy tanks were the job of purpose-built tank destroyers, and the wide array of special duties that a tank could be used for were just being explored by armies around the world in the early 1940s.

Theories of what vehicles were supposed to be engaging enemy tanks changed as vehicles like the Shermans often found themselves up against enemy armor, some of the most important initial changes centered around upgunning the basic vehicle. Improving the vehicles mobility, protection, and creating specific variants for infantry support roles soon followed. Similar modification of the main armament would be done by the British who received a number of Shermans during the course of the war. Turning earlier variants of the Sherman into Armored Personnel Carriers or "Kangaroos" was also common, as was turning them into recovery vehicles.

More radical variants followed, first with experiments with flotation screens in preparation for the invasion of Europe by Allied forces in 1944, and later by the addition of rocket launching equipment mounted on the turret. Extensive work on creating mine clearance devices to be attached to Shermans or out of Shermans in some fashion was also conducted up until the end of the Second World War.

After the end of the Second World War the thousands upon thousands of surviving Shermans were shipped the world over, but primarily to South America and the Middle East. Israel became the largest post-war user of Sherman tanks, conducting extensive modifications to keep them in front line service right up into the early 1970s as tanks, mobile artillery pieces, armored ambulances and more. Many saw action in the 1973 October War. Similar modifications and purchases of Israeli-modified Shermans was done in South America where they served on as the last fighting Shermans right up until 1989.

[edit] US Variants

M4. Note a big bulge behind the turret.

M4A1. Note the rounded edges of its fully cast upper hull.

M4A2E8.

A M4A3E2 Jumbo with extra armour.

M4A4.

[edit] US M4 Sub-Types

M4- Continental radial engine; welded hull; 75-mm and 105-mm versions only. Users: US, Britain, Poland. Some very late M4s had composite cast/welded hulls.
- M4(105) - Upgraded with 105 mm M4 howitzer.
- M4(105) HVSS - M4(105) w/ HVSS.
M4A1 - Continental radial engine; one-piece cast hull; 75-mm and 76-mm versions built. Users: US, Britain, South Africa, France (small numbers), China
- M4A1E4/M4A1(76)W - Upgraded with 76 mm M1 gun.
- M4A1E8/M4A1(76)W HVSS - Upgraded with widetrack Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS), fitted with the 76 mm M1 gun.
- M4A1E9 - Unknown configuration, possibly an upgrade of existing M4A1s with 76 mm guns.
M4A2 - Diesel-powered; welded hull; 75-mm and 76-mm guns. Users: USSR (M4C), USMC, France, Britain, Poland. No US Army combat use.
- M4A2E8/M4A2(76)W HVSS - Upgraded with widetrack Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS), fitted with the 76mm M1 gun.
M4A3 - Ford GAA V-8 engine; welded hull; 75-mm, 76-mm, and 105-mm guns. Users: US, France (small numbers). The M4A3 was the preferred US Army vehicle.
- M4A3(75) - M4A3 w/ 75mm M3 gun.
- M4A3(105) - M4A3 w/ 105mm M4 howitzer.
- M4A3E2 Assault Tank - postwar nickname "Jumbo" - extra armour (including 4" on front), vertical sided turret, but about 3-4 mph slower. Built with 75 mm gun but frequently re-armed by the using units with 76-mm guns. Grousers fitted to the tracks. Users: US, France (one vehicle)
- M4A3E4/M4A3(76)W - M4A3 w/ 76mm M1 gun.
- M4A3E8/M4A3(76)W HVSS (Easy Eight) - Upgraded with widetrack Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS), fitted with the 76mm M1 gun.
- M4A3E9/M4A3(105) HVSS - Upgraded with widetrack Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS), fitted with the 105mm M4 howitzer.
M4A4 - Chrysler A57 engine; welded, lengthened hull; 75-mm gun only as-built. Many re-armed with British 17-pounder guns ("Firefly"). Users: Britain, France, China
M4A5 - No US vehicle was built with this designation; the number was meant to signify Canadian production.
M4A6 - Diesel engine; composite cast/welded hull lengthened similarly to the M4A4; 75-mm gun only. Only a few dozen of this variant were built and none were used in combat.

[edit] US Non-"M4" Sherman-Based Vehicles

Variants without the M4 designation but built on the M4 medium chassis (While some began on the M3 chassis, some subvariants were switched to the M4 chassis during production. These are the models listed here):

105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7B1 - self-propelled 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage (HMC) based on the M4A3 Sherman chassis.
155mm Gun Motor Carriage M12 - self-propelled 155 mm Gun Motor Carriage (GMC).
Cargo Carrier M30 - Cargo Carrier (an M12 with crew and ammunition space in lieu of the gun).
155mm Gun Motor Carriage M40 - self-propelled 155 mm GMC (Either M1A1 or M2 gun) based on the M4A3 (HVSS) chassis.
8in Howitzer Motor Carriage M43 - self-propelled 8 inch HMC (standardized post-WWII).
3in Gun Motor Carriage M10 - tank destroyer based on the M4A2 Sherman chassis.
- 3in Gun Motor Carriage M10A1 - Same as the M10, but based on the M4A3 Sherman chassis.
90mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 - tank destroyer based on M10A1 hull (M4A3 chassis); standard model.
- 90mm Gun Motor Carriage M36B1 - tank destroyer based on M4A3 Sherman hull and chassis; expedient model.
- 90mm Gun Motor Carriage M36B2 - tank destroyer based on M10 hull (M4A2 chassis, diesel); expedient model.

M32 TRV.

Tank Recovery Vehicle M32 - based on M4 chassis with turret replaced by fixed superstructure, 60.000 lb winch and an 18 feet long pivoting A-frame jib installed. An 81mm Mortar was also added into the hull, primarily for screening purposes.
- Tank Recovery Vehicle M32B1 - M32s converted from M4A1s.
  - Tank Recovery Vehicle M32A1B1 - M32B1's with HVSS, later removing the 81mm Mortar and incorporating crane improvements.
- Tank Recovery Vehicle M32B2 - M32's converted from M4A2's.
- Tank Recovery Vehicle M32B3 - M32's converted from M4A3's.
  - Tank Recovery Vehicle M32A1B3 - M32B3's brought to the same standard as the M32A1B1.
- Tank Recovery Vehicle M32B4 - M32's converted from M4A4's.
M74 Tank Recovery Vehicle - Upgrade of the M32 to provide the same capability with regards to heavier post-war tanks, converted from M4A3 HVSS tanks. In appearance the M74 is very similar to the M32, fitted with an A-Frame crane, a main towing winch, an auxiliary winch, and a manual utility winch. The M74 also has a front mounted spade that can be used as a support or as a dozer blade.
- M74B1 - Same as the M74, but converted from M32B3s.

[edit] US Special Attachment Variants

M4 with 105 mm howitzer and a dozer blade.

Rocket-firing, flame-thrower, mine-clearing, amphibious, engineer; mostly experimental (indicated by T instead of M)

Sherman DD (Duplex drive) - Amphibious M4.
M4 Mobile Assault Bridge.
M4 Dozer - fitted with dozer blade.
T15/E1/E2 - Series of mine resistant Shermans based on the T14 kit. Cancelled at war's end.
Mine Exploders / Mine Excavators - fitted with various mine exploding devices including plungers, rollers, mortars. Most of those remained experimental vehicles.
- Mine Exploder T1E1 Roller (Earthworm) - Discs made from armor plate.
- Mine Exploder T1E2 Roller - Two forward units with 7 discs only. Experimental.
- Mine Exploder T1E3/M1 Roller (Aunt Jemima) - Two forward units with 5 10' discs. Most widely used T1 variant, adopted as the M1. (picture)
- Mine Exploder T1E4 Roller - 16 discs
- Mine Exploder T1E5 Roller - T1E3/M1 w/ smaller wheels. Experimental.
- Mine Exploder T1E6 Roller - T1E3/M1 w/ serrated edged discs. Experimental
- Mine Exploder T2 Flail - British Sherman Crab I mine flail.
- Mine Exploder T3 Flail - Based on British Scorpion flail. Development stopped in 1943.
  - Mine Exploder T3E1 Flail - T3 w/ longer arms and sand filled rotor. Cancelled.
  - Mine Exploder T3E2 Flail - E1 variant, rotor replaced with steel drum of larger diameter. Development terminated at war's end.
- Mine Exploder T4 - British Crab II mine flail.
- Mine Exploder T7 - Frame with small rollers with two discs each. Abandoned.
- Mine Exploder T8 (Johnny Walker) - Steel plungers on a pivot frame designed to pound on the ground. Vehicle steering was adversely affected.
- Mine Exploder T9 - 6' Roller. Difficult to maneauver.
  - Mine Exploder T9E1 - Lightened version, but proved unsatisfactory because it failed to explode all mines.
- Mine Exploder T10 - Remote control unit designed to be controlled by the following tank. Cancelled.
- Mine Exploder T11 - 6 forward firing mortars to set off mines. Experimental.
- Mine Exploder T12 - 23 forward firing mortars. Apparently effective, but cancelled.
- Mine Exploder T14 - Direct modification to a Sherman tank, upgraded belly armor and reinforced tracks. Cancelled.
- Mine Excavator T4 - Plough device. Developed during 1942, but abandoned.
- Mine Excavator T5/E1/E2 - T4 variant w/ v-shaped plough. E1/E2 was a further improvement.
- Mine Excavator T5E3 - T5E1/E2 rigged to the hydraulic lift mechanism from the M1 dozer kit to control depth.
- Mine Excavator T6 - Based on the v-shape/T5, unable to control depth.
- Mine Excavator T2/E1/E2 - Based on the T4/T5's, but rigged to the hydraulic lift mechanism from the M1 dozer kit to control depth.

T-34 rocket launcher in France.

A M4A3R3 used by the USMC during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Rocket Launchers:
- Rocket Launcher T34 (Calliope) - armed with 60 4-6" rocket tubes mounted above the turret. Saw limited combat in 1944-1945.
- Rocket Launcher T34E1 - T34 with 14 tubes in the 2 bottom units.
- Rocket Launcher T34E2 - T34 modified to accept 7.2" rockets.
- Rocket Launcher T39 - Enclosed box mount with doors, with 20 7.2" rockets.
- Rocket Launcher T40/M17 WhizBang - armed with 20 7.2" rockets. Saw limited combat in 1944-45. A short variant of the T40 was also developed, but saw little usage.
- Rocket Launcher T72 - T34 short tube variant. Never used.
- Rocket Launcher T73 - Similar to the T40, but with only 10 tubes. Never used.
- Rocket Launcher T76 - M4A1 w/ 7.2" rocket launcher in place of main gun. Never used.
- Rocket Launcher T105 - M4A1 w/ rocket case instead of main gun. Never used.
- Multiple Rocket Launcher T99 - 2 box mounts with 22 4.5" rockets, mounted on the turret. Never used.
Flame Throwers:
- M4A3R3 Flame thrower - Also known as "Zippo tanks" or more commonly Flame tanks.

[edit] UK and Commonwealth Variants

[edit] UK Nomenclature

In British usage, Sherman I=M4, Sherman II=M4A1 and so on. Additional letters denoted other features; A for the 76mm M1 gun, B for the 105 mm M4 L/22.5 howitzer, C for the OQF 17 Pounder gun, and Y for the wider tracked HVSS type suspension.

Sherman I - M4. The first Shermans to be received by the UK were equipped with two driver-operated fixed machine guns in the hull. This was a standard feature of very early Shermans and was one of the first things to be dropped from the design.
- Sherman Hybrid I - Sherman I w/ composite hull (cast front and welded rear end)
- Sherman IB - M4 with a 105 mm howitzer.
  - Sherman IBY - with the HVSS suspension.
- Sherman IC (Firefly) - M4 with a 17 pounder (76.2 mm) gun.
  - Sherman Hybrid IC - Sherman IC w/ composite hull (cast front and welded rear end)
Sherman II - M4A1 with a 75 mm gun.
- Sherman IIA - M4A1(76)W
  - Sherman IIAY - M4A1(76)W HVSS
- Sherman IIC (Firefly) - M4A1 witth a 17 pounder (76.2 mm) gun.
Sherman III - M4A2 with a 75 mm gun.
- Sherman IIIA - M4A2 with a 76 mm gun (unlikely to have been used by UK troops)
  - Sherman IIIAY - M4A2(76)W HVSS (not used operationally by UK troops)
Sherman IV - M4A3(75mm). M4A3 w/ 75mm M3 gun. (no Sherman IV's used operationally)
- Sherman IVA - M4A3(76)W
- Sherman IVB - M4A3(105). M4A3 with a 105 mm M4 howitzer.
  - Sherman IVBY - M4A3(105) HVSS. with HVSS.
- Sherman IVC (Firefly) - Planned M4A3 with a 17 pounder (76.2 mm) gun. Never built.
Sherman V - M4A4 with a 75 mm gun.
- Sherman VC (Firefly) - M4A4 with a 17 pounder (76.2 mm) gun.

Shermans retrofitted with the British 17 pounder (76.2 mm) gun were known as Fireflies and were used by British and British-supplied Allied forces (Canada, Poland). Some were supplied to US units at the end of the war, but not in time for combat usage.

Sherman VI - Not used, most likely for the same reasons as the M4A5 designation, to prevent confusion with Canadian Ram/Grizzly production.
Sherman VII - M4A6 delivered into British use with Ordnance RD-1820 diesel engine.

[edit] UK Variants

Sherman Crab Mk II

Sherman DD (Duplex drive) - Amphibious M4.
Sherman Kangaroo - Sherman III converted into Kangaroo armoured personnel carrier
Sherman III ARV Mk I - Amoured Recovery Vehicle conversion of Sherman III, similarly Sherman V ARV I and ARV II, but the Sherman II ARV III was a M32B1 TRV (see below)
Sherman BARV (Beach Armoured Rescue Vehicle) - converted and operated by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers to tow immobilised vehicles out of the water during the Normandy landings.
Sherman Crab I and II - M4A4's with mine flail equipment.
Tank AA, 20mm Quad, Skink - prototype anti aircraft vehicle with four 20 mm Polsten cannons mounted in a turret on Canadian-made M4A1 hull.
Sherman V (Rocket) - a Sherman V with two 3-inch (60lb) RP-3 rockets on rails fitted to the turret. Used by the 1st Coldstream Guards at the Rhine in 1945.

[edit] Soviet Lend-Lease

Diesel-powered M4A2s were sent to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program. The Soviets received the wide range of M4A2-type Shermans, both with the 75mm and 76mm cannon. Some later HVSS suspension tanks were delivered and employed before war's end.

The M4 was called Em Cha by Soviet troops, because the Americans' open-topped figure 4 resembled the Cyrillic letter cha Ч.

M4M—a few M4A2s in Soviet service were converted by adding an F-34 76.2mm gun, the same gun mounted on the T-34 medium tank. There was no shortage of U.S. 75mm ammunition, however, so there was little need to continue converting Shermans (Zaloga 1984:217).

[edit] Post War Variants

[edit] Argentinian Variants

Repotenciado - Conversions of British Sherman VC and IC Hybrid to include a new armament suite, the 105 mm FTR L44/57 gun (an Argentine copy of the gun used on the AMX-13), a co-axial MAG-58 machine gun, and turret pintle mounted M2HB machine gun.

[edit] Chilean Variants

M50/60 - Converted Israeli M50/M51 Shermans, refitted with the IMI-OTO 60mm Hyper Velocity Medium Support (HVMS) gun. Claimed to be the very last fighting Sherman, remaining in Chilean service until 1989, when it was replaced by the Leopard 1V and AMX-30B2.

[edit] Egyptian Variants

M4A4 with FL-10 Turret.

M4A4 with FL-10 Turret - M4A4 fitted with the diesel engine of M4A2 and the FL-10 turret of the French AMX-13 light tank.

[edit] Israeli Variants

Sherman with Krupp 75 mm gun - Six early salvaged Shermans had a Krupp 75 mm field gun to replace the original gun destroyed during post-WWII scrapping. Later these tanks were rearmed with 105 mm howitzers M4.
Sherman M-1 - Israeli designation of any Sherman model armed with the 76 mm gun M1.
- Super Sherman M-1 - Israeli designation of M4A1(76) fitted with HVSS suspension.
Sherman M-3 (Sherman degem Alef prior to 1956) - Israeli designation of any Sherman model armed with the 75 mm gun M3.
Sherman M-4 (Sherman degem Bet prior to 1956) - Israeli designation of any Sherman model armed with the 105 mm howitzer M4.
Sherman M-50 (widely known abroad as Super Sherman) (1956) - Upgraded Sherman with the French CN 75-50 75 mm gun in the "old" turret fitted with a counterweight.
- M-50 Continental - subvariant with Continental R-975 gasoline engine and VVSS suspension. 50 units converted.
- M-50 Cummins - subvariant with Cummins diesel engine and HVSS suspension.
Sherman M-51 (widely known abroad as Isherman or Super Sherman) - Upgraded M4A1 with Cummings diesel, HVSS and the French CN 105 F1 gun. The gun was shortened from 56 calibers to 44 and equipped with a massive muzzle brake; ammunition with smaller cartridge was used.
Sherman Morag - Israeli designation of Sherman Crab.
Trail Blazer (Gordon) - A recovery/engineering vehicle based on HVSS equipped M4A1s, it featured a large single boom crane (as opposed to the A-Frame of the M32) and large spades at the front and rear of the vehicle to assist in lifting. It could also tow up to 72 tons.
Sherman Medical Evacuation Tank (Ambutank) - A radical conversion of the M4 with the turret removed and the powerplant (changed to a diesel engine) moved to the front of the tank. A medical team and four casualties could be carried in an armoured compartment at the rear. Early vehicles were based on M4A1 hulls with VVSS suspension and are often referred to as "VVSS version". Later vehicles used hulls with HVSS suspension and were fitted with a big boxy superstructure. This version is often referred to as "HVSS version". Many were used during the Israeli-Egyptian War of Attrition (1968-70) and the Yom Kippur War.
M-50 - The M-50 was an open structured self-propelled artillery piece, mounting a single French Model 50 155 mm howitzer. Was developed in early 1960s. Saw combat in the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War.
Ro'em or L-33 - Based on M4 chassis with HVSS. Soltam of Israel designed a huge enclosed superstructure holding a 155 mm howitzer, also developed by Soltam. A Cummins diesel engine was fitted to deal with the increased weight. Was used in the Yom Kippur War and the 1982 Lebanon War.
L-39 - Like L-33, but with longer barrel. Apparently was not adopted.
Makmat 160 mm - 160 mm mortar mounted on a Sherman chassis. It was developed in late 1960s and used in the Yom Kippur War and the Lebanon War.
MAR-240 - In place of the turret, a side-looking launcher for 36 240 mm rockets was fitted. These were Israeli made versions of the Soviet BM-24 Katyusha rocket.
Episkopi or MAR-290 - As with the MAR-240, except mounting a rear-looking launcher for four 290 mm ground-to-ground rockets. Was used in the 1982 Lebanon War.
Kilshon (Trident) or Kachlilit - The Kilshon was developed to reduce the losses suffered by SAM suppression aircraft by launching anti-radiation missiles from the ground. The Kilshon was based on turretless hull of the M51 Isherman on which a AGM-45 Shrike anti-radiation missile launcher was mounted. To deliver the desired range, a specially modified AGM-45 with booster was used. Later a prototype was developed for use with the AGM-78 Standard anti-radiation missile, but with the retirement of Shermans from IDF service the Keres (Hook) system was placed onto a heavy truck chassis for the finalized design instead.
Eyal Observation Post Vehicle - A Sherman that had the turret replaced with a 27 m (90 foot) tall hydraulically erected observation platform. This was used near the Suez Canal as a mobile observation post, before the Yom Kippur War.

[edit] Gallery

M50 Supersherman	M51 Isherman	Trail Blazer	Ambutank, VVSS version
Ambutank, HVSS version	M50 155mm self-propelled howitzer	L-33 Roem	Makmat 160 mm
MAR-240	MAR-290	Kilshon / Kachlilit	Eyal observation post vehicle