M4 Sherman: Armor in Action

The M4 Sherman tank is one of the most famous and significant armored vehicles ever built. It was constructed in greater numbers than any other tank, and examples are still in second-line service in several parts of the world. Maligned by some for its faults, glorified by others because of its service successes, the M4 series, perhaps more than any other vehicle, symbolized the baste differences in philosophy between the United States and her enemies in World War II: rugged, unsophisticated, perfectly suited for mass production, the Sherman family eventually numbered over 55,000 vehicles, well over twice the number of tanks built by Germany from 1939-1945. Its numbers, reliability, and ease of handling and maintenance were the great strengths of the M4 family, and the basic reasons for its success as a combat tank.