Sherman Tanks

The M4 Sherman Tank was one of the most popular Allied Tanks during the war. Over 50,000 of them were produced and it saw action in all theaters of operation, from North Africa, to Europe, the Pacific and even the Eastern Front through the Lend Lease program. The Sherman is what is considered a medium tank, and it offered a good balance of speed, armor and gun power, while at the same time, being reliable and easy to service in the field. All this made it a popular tank and many variations of it were made. Its 75 mm or 76 mm gun was able to take on most light and medium enemy tanks, like the German Panzer III and IVs, and the light Japanese tanks were no match for it. But its gun and armor were at a disadvantage against the heavier German Tanks like the Panther, Tiger and King Tiger (Tiger II), however the US made up for this disadvantage with numbers as well as air and artillery superiority. The Sherman's high profile also made it vulnerable as it made it easier to spot, particularly when it was silhouetted against the morning or evening sky, which made some of its crew men refer to it as a traveling coffin, particularly when fighting against the heavier German tanks. The book 'Brothers in Arms', the story of the 761st Tank Battalion, describes frightfully well what it was like to be a Sherman tank man fighting in Europe, and how the German shells would sometimes go right through the Shermans' armor wreaking havoc inside. In any case, the contribution of the Sherman during the War was substantial and they deserve proper credit for it. Manufacturers of armored vehicle models have done their part to help this happen, as illustrated below. 

21st Century Toys Sherman Tank - Part I

This is a plastic model with plenty of detail. It comes with a driver and a tank commander. The other figures around it are just guys that I added for the scene.

21st Century Toys Sherman Tank - Part II

Notice the pieces of track welded to the front of the vehicle to give the driver extra protection against head-on shots.

BMC Sherman Tank - Part I

If you are looking for a good deal on a Sherman Tank or you are considering getting a large fleet of them, this is the tank you are looking for. You can get it for about 5 dollars and if you take some time to paint it slightly, it can look really good.

BMC Sherman Tank - Part II

It is also a bit taller than the other models out there, which seems to be more in line with reality.

New Ray Sherman Tank - Part I

This is a die cast model, so it has a nice heavier feel to it. The scale is a bit on the smaller side though, but still acceptable and for some reason I've often seen them on sale, which can make it an affordable addition to your army.

New Ray Sherman Tank - Part II

This one also has some tracks welded on to protect the driver. The stars and the motif on the side are actually stickers, which is not great as they might come off, but you just need to be a bit careful with them so that they remain glued.

InAir / New Ray EZ Build Sherman Tank

Another all-plastic kit requiring some small amount of assembly. As with the other models in this line, the appearance is acceptable. The feel is a bit on the light side since it is all soft plastic and we've now become used to the FOV or 21C models. It was still a good find (ran into it at Amazon.com)

21st Century Toys Sherman Firefly - Part I

The Sherman Firefly was a British variation which contained a more powerful 17 pounder main gun capable of penetrating the armor of the heavier German tanks. Given that it is a British variant, I suppose I should have used British guys for this picture :-)

21st Century Toys Sherman Firefly - Part II

This model from 21C Toys is made of plastic, did not feature any figures with it and has a very light feeling to it, but its appearance is still fairly decent. The long gun gives it a more impressive look.

Forces of Valor U.K. Sherman Firefly - 7th Armored Division

FOV must be in cost cutting mode because this is the first vehicle that I come across which is pretty much made out of plastic entirely. The level of detail is still very high. For instance, the armor surface is all nicely pockmarked, but for the prices that they command these days, it was a bit disappointing that it was all plastic. Good thing that I found it on sale...

21st Century Toys Sherman Bulldozer - Part I

Another nice variation of the Sherman vehicle by 21st Century Toys. Vehicles like this might have been used in the rocky island campaigns in the pacific like Iwo Jima to clear paths for the other Shermans behind them with flamethrowers, which was the only way to clear some of those caves from where the Japanese fought. 

21st Century Toys Sherman Bulldozer - Part II

A bulldozer like this might also come in handy in the hedgerow country in Normandy, to create gaps in the hedgerows for the tanks and infantry to move through, avoiding the pre-set fields of fire. There is also a hedgerow cutter variation of the Sherman from Forces of Valor which is even more in line with what was used in that theater of operation.

Forces of Valor Sherman Amphibious Tank - Okinawa - Part I

This is one of the newer FOV vehicles produced since the FOV brand was acquired by Waltersons. It represents a version of the Shermans released towards the end of the war in the Pacific Theater of Operations. This model is unique because it comes equipped with 'deep wading gear' that enables the air intake/exhaust to happen above the level of the turret. This allowed it to come ashore much more successfully than the Shermans that attempted to disembark at Normandy. This Sherman is also special because it comes armed with amore powerful -and longer- 105mm gun. 

Forces of Valor Sherman Amphibious Tank - Okinawa - Part II

Here's a better view of the 'breathing' ducts from behind. These ducts are also removable. This is not just a feature of the models, but it reflects how the actual vehicles worked in real life, as this equipment would have no further use after coming ashore. This tank is part of Waltersons' 'Engine Plus' series which means that the upper part of the tank is removable and you can appreciate the engine and inside of the tank. The engine is removable and you can place it on the metal frame next to the tank in case your mechanics need to perform maintenance on it :-)

Click here to check out other US Vehicles

Click here to see a post about other American Tanks

Click here to see a post about German self-propelled guns

Here are some pictures of GIs in action against German troops in Normandy