Sherman tank was an armored combat vehicle used by the United States and its allies during World War II (1939-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). The U.S. Army called it the Medium Tank, M4. It was later named after William Tecumseh Sherman, a Union general in the American Civil War (1861-1865). Sherman tanks fought on nearly all battlefronts of World War II.
Most Shermans carried three heavy machine guns and a 2.95-inch (75-millimeter) gun on a rotating turret. Some Shermans had flamethrowers, hedgerow cutters, larger guns, rocket launchers, smoke mortars, and other modifications. The tanks reached a maximum speed of about 25 miles (40 kilometers) per hour. Sherman tanks carried a crew of five and were used to support infantry (soldiers who fight on foot).
Sherman tanks were first tested in 1941. They entered World War II combat with British forces in Egypt in October 1942. They first saw combat with U.S. forces in Tunisia in early December. The tanks accompanied Allied ground forces throughout the rest of the European campaign.
Sherman tanks had success against German tanks in 1942 and 1943. Later German tanks, however, with thicker armor and larger guns, dominated encounters with Shermans. Sherman crews suffered heavy casualties (people killed or wounded). The tanks proved highly effective during the island-hopping campaign against the Japanese in the Pacific.
Nearly every Allied army used Sherman tanks during World War II. Many thousands served with the British and Soviet armies. The tanks served again with U.S. and Allied forces during the Korean War. The U.S. Army retired the Sherman tank in the mid-1950’s. The tank served in foreign armies until the late 1900’s. About 50,000 Sherman tanks were produced, many by Chrysler plants in the Detroit area.
See also Tank ; World War II .
