The M4 Sherman medium tank was regarded by many as the workhorse of the US Army during World War II. In fact, virtually all of the Allied armies employed the Sherman in their armed forces, including the British, who developed an upgunned variant called the "Firefly". Eleven different US plants manufactured six basic models of the Sherman, and by June 1944 over 49,234 battle-ready vehicles had been produced. While it was no match for the German Panther or Tiger tanks, the Sherman soldiered on, using its weight in numbers to wrest control of Europe from the Wehrmacht.

Early Shermans mounted a 75mm medium-velocity general-purpose gun. Later M4A1, M4A2, and M4A3 models received the larger T23 turret with a high-velocity 76mm gun M1, which traded reduced HE and smoke performance for improved anti-tank performance. The British offered the QF 17 pounder (76.2 mm) anti-tank gun with its significant armour penetration but a significant initial (later rectified) HE shortcoming to the Americans but the US Ordnance Department was working on a 90mm tank gun and declined. Later M4 and M4A3 were factory-produced with a 105mm howitzer and a new distinctive mantlet in the original turret. The first standard-production 76mm-gun Sherman was an M4A1 accepted in January 1944 and the first standard-production 105mm-howitzer Sherman was an M4 accepted in February 1944.

This particular 1:50 scale replica of a M4A3 Sherman medium tank, nicknamed "Blockbuster," was attached to the US 4th Armored Division during the D-Day campaign. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 4-1/2-inches
Width: 2-inches

Release Date: April 2004

Historical Account: "David vs. Goliath" - The Sherman tank never compared favorably to the German tanks of the period. However, there were often as many as ten Shermans for every German tank on the battlefield. This numerical superiority, combined with good old American ingenuity and some upgrades of the Sherman, meant that by war's end, the Sherman has proven itself as a rough-and-ready tank. The tank fighting around Normandy in the Bocage, with not many long, clear fields of fire, actually favored the Shermans.