![]() ![]() In late 1942 tests were conducted on an M-4 armed with a 105mm howitzer. Starting in August 1942, work on a new 76mm gun wavered until finally, in early 1943, the Armor Board approved its installation on new M-4s. ![]() The M3 gun had a longer barrel than the M2 and produced a muzzle velocity of 2,030 feet per second. The M3 main gun was approved in June 1941 but only reached the European theater in time to have a decisive effect during the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944. The M2 75mm 31.5 caliber main gun was gyrostabilized and had a muzzle velocity of 1,850 feet per second, considered too low even then. This cutaway of the M-4 Sherman shows the cramped and dangerous conditions in which tank crews operated during World War II. The M-4's upper hull was cast in separate parts and welded together. The new turret was a one piece, 3-inch-thick casting, rounded to maximize protection from enemy gunnery. The M-4 design used as much of the M-3's suspension, chassis, and power plant as possible. As a result, 11 separate companies manufactured the M-4 in an amazing example of management and quality control skills. When Germany invaded Russia in June 1941, President Roosevelt personally ordered tank production for 1942 doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 per month. ![]() Its design number was T-6, and it was accepted for production in September 1941 as the M-4 Medium Tank. The main differences lay in increased armor protection and a new turret of conventional design that allowed the main gun to traverse 360°. One day after the M-3 Medium Tank - always considered an interim model - was ordered into production, design work started on a new medium tank to overcome the deficiencies of the M-3. ![]()
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