philipat

I was out at 29 Palms, CA, recently and found this parked in front of 1st Tank Bn's HQ. I'm thinking it's an M4A3 (105). Given that it's a USMC tank with HVSS, I'm going to say that it's of Korean War vintage. Have I identified the variant correctly?

BTW...if anyone wants more pictures of it, I took a bunch walking around it. Let me know what you want to see and I'll scan in the photos.

Panther F

As long as it has a V-8 in it, it's an A3. Did you get any pics of the top of the engine deck or the rear of the tank?

philipat

Can't see what's under the hood (so to speak)...but here's some back-end shots. Couldn't really get any overhead shots, but if you look at the pictures I think you can get an idea of the deck grill layout.

Panther F

A3.

swathdiver

It's a late model one with additional armor under where the cupola mounts. The screen on the back is the later design, commonly used in Korea. Funny you should mention this tank, I came across it today in Rafal Bialecki's list of Shermans.

M4A3E8(105) would be the correct designation.

philipat

As in that exact tank or the model? Haven't heard of Bialecki's list...is it online somewhere.

I've looked over some of the information on the Shermans and finally started to figure out the A's. But, I haven't figured out the E designations. What is the E8 for? I always thought the M4A3E8 had the long main gun tube for the 76-mm guns.

swathdiver

Yes, a 2005 picture of the same tank. If you type in his name the website should come up, he compiles a list of all surviving armor worldwide and updates it frequently.

E8 refers to the HVSS suspension system. The gun would be referred to like this (76) and if equipped with wet stowage a W would follow the armament type.

E9 refers to EECs on both sides the track. This was a late/postwar mod done to VVSS tanks, the sprocket, idlers and bogies were spaced away from the hull to provide more flotation.

E2 referred to the Jumbo Shermans with additional armor

E4 was postwar modification for foreign aid/sales re-equipping 75mm tanks with the 76mm gun. Must of made for a cramped turret!

Don't remember the others offhand.

WhiteWolf McBride

My Feedback: (3)

Swathy:

Agreed, A3. The central filler cap with its curved bullet-splash armor is a dead give-away. Easiest way to tell an A3 from an A2.

A few things don't look right though... they beef'd most of the A3 engine hatch hinges with an extra torsion spring, but this one is unmodified. It does have the outboard/sponson door supports though. Another thing that may help identify its heritage is that the odd welding of the aft lifting loops - they are not perpendicular to the sponson deck, but upright. I also noted the extra armor welded across the openings at the turret bullet-splash skirt, and that extra radio antenna mount aft of the rear turret ventilator.

You could always ask the guys over on G104 about it... they seem to know where these babies come from...

philipat

Wow...I learned something. Had to go back and look at the pictures for each of those points.

Swathy, thanks for the E-planations.