Sherman hulls
 

Huy Guys,

I am not profound about the Sherman hull variants.
M4A1 has casted hull.
What about other M4A2, M4A3, etc.? What are the differences?
Which type of hull do Tamiya provide in their kit?

Regards,
Eugene

RE: Sherman hulls
 

The M4A2 was an M4 with diesel power. I think they were two 6-71s mated together. The M4A3 had the Ford Powerplant and a different angle of its glacis plate. The M4 had the Radial Engine and the M4A1 had the same engine but with the cast hull.

All the tanks had different versions or updates to the VVSS and HVSS suspensions. Most were converted to "wet" stowage of their ammunition. Tanks built from the factory wouldn't have the 1 or 2 armored plates welded to the sides. Tanks modified in theater probably kept the plates. Don't forget the different transmission covers, turrets, guns used, track grousers on one side, both sides with the bogies spaced away from the hull, etc. etc.

The variations for the Sherman are nearly endless. You could build 50 tanks each having a different feature or update, I don't think that can be said for any other tank or vehicle out there. It makes you wonder why Tamiya or Heng Long didn't capitalize on this sooner. Tamiya's tank does not represent the most common variant. Whomever offers the VVSS Sherman and some variations stands to make a not so small fortune!

RE: Sherman hulls
 

From Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Tank

RE: Sherman hulls
 

I forgot to list the A4! How would you like to change 30 spark plugs? [:@]

There were variations of every one of those too!

RE: Sherman hulls
 

swathdiver:

two minor points that ya got wrong:

Wet-stowage Shermans were as-built, not field-modded, as it would have required gutting the hull, putting in the tanks, then replacing the guts. Only tanks that really got this treatment were the Brit ones that got the 17 pounders (M4's & M10's) They needed the stowage adjusted for the Brit calibre 17 pounder rounds.

The slope of the glacis did not indicate an A3, it indicated early or late hull. Early hulls had those distinctive bulges in front of driver and gunner, and almost always had plates welded over them. They also had small oval hatches that opened to the side that were hard to get out of. Late ones had a steeper glacis slope, no bulges in front for driver or gunner, and the crew hatches were bigger, aligned at a 45 degree angle, and opened at that odd angle (like on the Tamiya)

EugeniRUS:

A great reference, although incomplete, is the MMIR Guide to the Sherman. I think it can still be bought from Kalmbach. Tthe other is the Sherman 'Bible', Hunnicutt's Sherman, which came back out in a very limited run reprint, but I heard no reports on corrections/improvements/quality. Other good backups are the Squadron-Signal Sherman books (At War & Walkaround's) and others.

RE: Sherman hulls
 

Hi Eugene;

The hull Tamiya represents in their kit is the radial powered M4. With the right engine decking and exhausts can be made to look like an M4A3 but will need the Pershings electronics with the sound of the Ford V-8 to pull it off.

HTH


Jeff

RE: Sherman hulls
 

Thanks!

RE: Sherman hulls
 

There were a copule notable Shermans left out....and as was alreadfy pointed out, many, many variations to the old M-4. The Marines modified the E5 or 105 Howitzer version by adding a very potent POA-CWS-HS flame gun, mounted in the gunner's telescope port. It was very effectove in korea. Another they mounted in M-4A2, POS-CWS-75 in place of the main 75 gun and used with great effect on Okinowa. Many Shermans were modified by mounting a small flame gun in the bow machine gun position. (We had a couple in korea, with the main flame housing actually outside bolted onto the hull above the bow machine gun on the M-46, but were not very good and discarded.)

An interim tank retriever that was modified in korea was the M-32A1B3, which used the M-4A3E8 and turret, boom with most of the equipment from the old M-32. The raising of the boom was modified to work through a winch in the turret, instead of hooking a cable onto the right sprocket. The old M-32 didn't have the power to handle the new M-26 and 46's and using the Easy 8 hull and engine was a power boost that did the job until the
M-74 came out.