M4A4 Sherman

The shortage of the original Continental R975 radial gasoline engines forced the American manufacturers of the M4 Sherman tanks to look for other powerplants. Having already used the GM 6046 2x6 diesel (M4A2) and Ford GAA V8 gasoline (M4A3) as replacements, it was Chrysler's turn. Their standard gasoline six-cylinder was anything but a tank engine. However, when five of them were combined in a pentagonal arrangement a very peculiar design was created called the Chrysler A57 Multibank 5xL6 with a displacement of 20.5 liters and an output of 425 hp at 2600 rpm. However, it was so bulky that its installation required the tank hull to be lengthened by 6 inches from the original 5.91 m to 6.06 m. Almost the same problems and the same solutions survived the M3A4 Lee. The hull preĺreaming required increasing the number of belt links to 83 instead of the standard 79. Increasing the contact area of the tracks slightly reduced the specific pressure which improved the running characteristics, but really only cosmetically (from 0.959 to 0.927 kg/cm²). The change in the length of the hull caused the spacing between the bogies of the travelling wheels to be increased.The gap was increased from the original width of one belt link to two. The rear return wheel of the belt has been moved further back, almost aligned with the outer contour of the vehicle, as a result of the change in the internal arrangement.

The cast turret and welded (though lengthened) hull were retained. There was also another technological "comeback" of the three-piece riveted differential cover versus the one-piece cast differential cover of its predecessor M4A3. The turret was almost exclusively fitted with the 75mm M3 L/40 gun.

The originally alternative design eventually became the second most produced M4 type. From July 1942 to September 1943, 7,499 M4A4 tanks were produced at the Detroit Tank Arsenal. Only a negligible number remained in the US where they served as training and testing machines. In American service, the M4A4s were not involved in combat operations. Under the Lend and Lease Act, 7167 machines were sold to Britain. The British, unlike the Americans, allowed them to excel in combat and actively involved them in combat operations on the continent. In British nomenclature, the tank was given the designation Sherman V. The only significant change from the American version was the addition of a protrusion into the rear of the turret to house the British radio, which was manned by a charger in the case of the British crews. Quite a number of Sherman V tanks were armed with the 17pdr gun. This conversion bore the designation Sherman VC.

Variants based on the M4A4 chassis
USA
M4A4 - original version
M32B4 (Tank Recovery Vehicle)

UK
Sherman VC (Firefly)
Sherman V OPT (Observation Post Tank)
Sherman V ARV Mk.I and ARV II (Amoured Recovery Vehicle)
Sherman V DD (Duplex Drive) - amphibious tank
Sherman V (Tulip or Guards) - armed with 3" (60lb) RP-3 missiles
Sherman Crab Mk.I and Mk.II - demining tank

Sources:
http://afvdb.50megs.com/usa/pics/m4sherman.html
http://www.onwar.com/tanks/usa/profiles/pm4a4.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_Sherman_variants
www.tanxheaven.com
http://www.rcaca.org/En/indexLM.asp?ID=26
www.lemaire.happyhost.org
ipmslondon.tripod.com
http://www.afvnews.ca/camouflage.html
web.inter.nl.net
https://www.valka.cz/newdesign/v900/clanek_923.html

Tanks in Detail 6: Medium Tank M4 (76mm and 105mm) Sherman & Firefly by Terry J Gander.
Published by Ian Allan Publishing.
Hersham, Surrey, KT12 5RG, England
ISBN 0 7110 2989 X

M4A4 Sherman V (T232274, "Willie Pusher II"), Imperial War Museum, 2009. Tank nese marking Gardové obrněné divize.

M4A4 Sherman V (T232274, "Willie Pusher II"), Imperial War Museum, 2009.

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Oorlogsmuseum Overloon, my own photo

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Oorlogsmuseum Overloon, own photo.