Dragon Model 6701 1/35 M4A1 75mm EARLY VERSION

The M4 Sherman was an American medium tank of World War II. The first prototypes were built in 1941, and serial production took place in the period 1942-1945. In total, about 49,000 examples of this tank of all versions were created, making it one of the most produced tanks of the Second World War and the most important tank in the equipment of the Allied armies during this conflict. The M4 Sherman was powered by a single engine version of the M4A1Continental R 975 C4with a power of 400 hp. The vehicle was armed – depending on the version – with one 75 mm M3 cannon or 76 mm M1 cannon or 105 mm M4 howitzer and two 7.62 mm Browning1919A machine guns.

The M4 Sherman was developed as a successor to the M2 and M3 tanks, although it used many of the latter’s components. First of all, it used only a slightly modified chassis of the M3 Lee car. When designing the M4 Sherman, the emphasis was primarily on the role of an infantry support vehicle, and not on fighting enemy tanks – this was the role of American tank destroyers. Only possible clashes with the Pz.Kpfw III and Pz.Kpfw IV cars were assumed. A significant role was also played by the mass production of the new tank and the lowest possible production costs. The result was a tank with good armament for 1942 and early 1943, average armour, but with a sloping front plate, but also with poor manoeuvrability and – especially in the first versions – very susceptible to fire as a result of hitting the engine compartment. At the same time, however, a tank was created that could be truly mass-produced and had significant modernization potential. Many development versions were created during serial production of the M4 Sherman. Chronologically the first was the version of the M4A1 which already had cast armour. The second – the M4A2 – had welded armour and a new General Motors 6460 engine with 375-410 hp, but much less prone to fire. The M4A3 version also appeared, armed with a 105 mm howitzer and powered by a 450 hp Ford GAA engine. Based on the M4A3 version, two subversions were created: the M4A3E2 Jumbo with reinforced armour and the M4A3E8 with HVSS and a 76 mm gun. An interesting development version was the T34 Calliope with mounted missiles that were not guided on the turret. The M4 Sherman was also supplied in large numbers to the British and the Red Army. The former developed a version of the Firefly based on it, with a formidable 17-pounder anti-tank gun. During World War II, the M4 Sherman tank saw combat in North Africa (19421943), Italy (19431945), during the battles in Normandy, France and West Germany (19441945), but also in the Pacific and in the ranks of the Red Army on the Eastern Front. After World War II, the M4 Sherman was used in many countries, including Argentina, Belgium, India, Israel, Japan, Pakistan and Turkey. It also participated in many conflicts after 1945, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Six-Day War of 1967.