Last weekend I was visiting relatives when we came across this tank in front of the Legion. My kids were thrilled to see a tank up so close but we all were wondering what kind of tank this was. I have absolutely no clue when it comes to things such as these, so I know someone on here can let us know. Please and thank you! The first 2 pictures are of the tank itself and the last 2 are the plaques found on the tank.
I think it's a Sherman Firefily, a British modification of the US Sherman tank. The British replaced the the US main gun to better deal with German armor.
We were just talking about the "Jumbo" and the "Firefly" on the Darkest Hour mod forums. I can tell you this isn't the Firefly. The "Jumbo" had a larger gun as the Firefly, but it had way thicker armor and improved engine and suspension system designed for 40 something tons. Look at the Firefly's road wheels and suspension compared to the Jumbos.
It is an M4A3 you can tell as it a has a welded hull and is not overly long like an A6 would be. The A1 and A5 are cast hulled normally It is also an E8 having HVSS suspension.... ie., an M4A3E8 The turret is a standard T23 turret with the M1 76mm gun with muzzle brake. The 17pdr doesn't have a double baffle muzzle brake but rather a single baffle one that is more globluar in shape. Also, no Fireflys were built on the T23 turret so that rules them out completely.
It is a Jumbo. Patton's vanguard: the United States Army Fourth Armored Division By Don M. Fox Weapons of the Tankers: American Armor in World War II By Harry Yeide
Hmm, This is going to be a tricky one since clearly the articles I posted suggest that not all Jumbos had armor or were built straight from the factory. From reading that above articles, I was under the impression the Easy Eight was another variant that would fall under the Jumbo category. I did get this from a 3d artist that does a lot of modeling. Darkest Hour: Europe '44-'45 • View topic - What kind of Sherman is this? All that is protective covering that goes over the drive shafts that is above the road wheels. I was only a turret mechanic, so don't get mad if I use the wrong terminology for the everything relating to the hull; I was just a turret mechanic. But I'm sure that covering was removed or found to be pointless. But having said that, it still looks like similar suspension.
No The M4A3E8 had the HVSS suspension, the M4A3E2 pictured has the VVSS suppension, they look quite different.
Cheeky sod Evening Hans Ludwig, afraid it's not a Jumbo mate. The E8/Easy 8 classification relates purely to the HVSS suspension (Horizontal Volute) that theoretically superceded the VVSS (Vertical Volute). The heavier turret you see is a later variant, but as nothing when compared to the one the E2 Jumbo variants carried. Believe me, Specific Sherman ID-ing can be a nightmare, you are not alone in getting sunk by contrary details, I do it myself... a lot . This one's an M4a2e8(76) or M4a3e8(76). I'll throw the a2 into the mix as it's possibly a Canadian service vehicle given it's display place. Though that's never a guarantee of where they sourced it from. Not that I can ever easily tell the difference externally between the two (It's an engine thing, a4 &a6 had extended hulls, don't think the a2 did). If it is an a2 (And I await correction there, could really do with brushing up the ID skills on those two) then it's correct Canadian/British designation would be a 'Sherman III'. If Jumbo's are your thing, there is a thread relating to them here: (It's still got the Google warning up from the recent problems, but I'm reliably informed this will clear very soon when Google updates it's records - Edit: It has cleared!). http://www.ww2f.com/weapons-wwii/32372-jumbo-sherman-why-werent-all-us-tanks-outfitted-like.html ~A
Surviving Jumbos here: (largish .pdf) The Shadock - Surviving Rare Shermans Aha, got it: Really should have looked there first: The Afv Register: Home .pdf Canadian list from which the above quote was taken: Surviving Tanks in Canada So as suspected, an M4a2E8, and in Commonwealth parlance with that 76 & HVSS - A Sherman IIIAY. Now I really must double-check if the Canucks used the British nomenclature... seem to recall they did, but currently not entirely certain. ~A
wow I am impressed ... not sure if my kids would really find it interesting but I did! all my kids wanted to know was if they could get inside and go get some bad guys...I showed the hubby and he just rolled his eyes and went back to his video game but thanks everyone!
