The Sherman tank was the primary battle tank of the U.S. and Western Allies from 1942-45. Nearly 50,000 were produced during World War II.
The first Sherman tanks to be used in North Africa were the M4A1’s with the British Eighth Army at the Second Battle of El Alamein in 1942. We have a first-hand account of the operating setup of a Sherman tank from Douglas Baker’s ‘War, Wine and Valour’, when he served at El Alamein.
SHERMAN IN BATTLE STATIONS
“Our year’s training showed us that a Sherman crew consisted of 5 members – a driver and a co-driver, a radio-operator at the left rear, a gunner at the right front, and the crew commander seated or standing behind the gunner and positioned so as to have his head protruding through the turret opening. The driver and co-drivers were also able to elevate their positions so that their heads protruded through their respective hatches. The radio-operator and gunner were equipped with peri-telescopes which enabled them to view the terrain over which the tank was travelling. These elongated telescopes could also be rotated so as to afford a view in any direction. They were also fitted to the driver’s hatches and were often put to good use when shelling necessitated the closing down of all hatches. Mounted in the turret was a 25mm gun, and co-axially mounted next to it was a .30 Browning machine gun, belt-fed.
My job on a Sherman was not clear-cut. Primarily I was trained as a radio operator because I had enough savvy to keep the tank’s wireless netted into the Squadron Commander’s tank. A tuning in was done each morning before operations began.”
Read more of Douglas Baker’s ‘War, Wine & Valour’
