italian military museum with sherman tank

These extended connectors replaced the standard connectors that were used to join the individual track shoes together and added extra width to the track to disperse the weight of the vehicle. The recently developed extended end connectors were fitted and helped to reduce the ground pressure even with all the additional weight. The M4A3 test tank with ballast fitted on 18th January 1944. If only limited operation is to be encountered.” This was therefore intended as a vehicle to be used on an as-needed basis and not for long periods of time or distance. It, therefore, appears feasible to convert a medium tank to an assault tank with a weight of 82,600 lbs. After 500 miles, it was found that “ no abnormal failures were encountered. It’s likely that the British plan was to ask the Americans to cast a heavier version of the M4A1 by increasing the casting thickness up to 3 ½” (89 mm) on the glacis (front upper hull plate) and 3” (76 mm) on the sponsons (side upper hull plates).Īlthough this early plan came to nothing, the US Ordnance Department didn’t entirely forget about the idea and on 17th December 1943, the General Motors Proving Ground was directed to test an M4A3 with additional loading to a weight of 82,600 lbs (37466 kg). In February 1942, the British tank mission in the United States approached the US War Department with the idea of developing a heavy version of the soon to be produced M4 to meet the expected requirement for assaulting fixed enemy defensive lines. One of the only two running Jumbos, restored by Jacques Littlefield and now operated by the Collings Foundation – Source: Auctions America Development It should be noted at this point that the name ‘Jumbo’ doesn’t appear in any wartime documentation and is almost certainly a post-war nickname, quite possibly created by a model company. However, it’s iconic profile left a lasting image that is probably one the most easily recognized M4 variants. With only 254 built, it represented less than 1% of the total build numbers for the M4. The vehicle became the M4A3E2 Assault tank or Sherman Jumbo. As the new T26E1 would not be ready in time and previous designs had been totally unsuitable for the task, the decision was made to modify the standard US Army medium tank of the time, the M4A3 Sherman. However, they had rejected previous plans for such a vehicle, and time was short. In early 1944, the United States Army decided that they needed an up-armored version of a medium tank for an assault role for the upcoming operations in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO).

Italian military museum with sherman tank