Sherman Medium Tank 1942–45 (New Vanguard, 3)

Many thoughtful individuals considering World War II in Europe have been puzzled about why the United States had such clearly inferior tanks to Germany over time, and especially at the end of the war. This short but useful book provides some important answers. Prior to American entry into the war, the U.S. Army leadership apparently did not plan on a great deal of tank against tank warfare, but saw the tank corps as having the primary purpose of breaking through the enemy front line and attacking into their rear areas. Tank destroyers and to some extent anti-tank guns were seen as the primary systems to destroy enemy tanks. The Germans, by contrast, increasing favored, heavy and well-armed tanks that by the last stages of the war dramatically outclassed smaller tanks like the Shermans. This is not the first time that technology has surged ahead of military tactics and doctrine but it is certainly one of the best examples, and the United States was slower than it should have been to adjust. Having said this, there were incremental improvements to the Sherman over this time frame, and it did have some advantages in turret traverse speed and engine durability. Sherman tank crews also made a point of learning about and exploiting the vulnerabilities of the Panther tanks and to the limited extent possible even the Tiger tanks. In examining such issues, no detail is too small for this author, and the result is a detailed and evaluation of this system. Particularly galling is the decision by U.S. military leaders to oppose the production of the M 26 heavy tank (Pershing) early in the war and by doing so delay this much more powerful successor to the Sherman from being used against the Tigers and Panthers until close to the war's conclusion. Even then, the number of M 26 tanks put into the fight was limited and inadequate.Also, I have posted a picture of a Sherman tank taken at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Very informative book, I used it for some scale modeling. Worth the money. Lots of great pictures.

Osprey New Vanguard #3, Sherman Medium Tank 1942-45, is a very good overview of the M4 Sherman and variants from 1942 on. I think it gives the reader a lot of information on the Sherman from its design philosophy to it's construction, weapons, powerplants and service.This small book (48 pages) starts out by giving the reader a short, but very enlightening, insight into the man who controlled the direction of tank design for the US Army during WWII - Maj. Gen. Lesley McNair. It's pretty obvious that McNair was opinionated in the extreme and insured that the armored weapons fielded by the US would be inferior to those of the enemy.The book does a good job of chronicling the variants with different engines, different weapons (including the 76mm gun version) or upgraded suspension. Unfortunately, doesn't really give a lot of data on the 105mm howitzer version). One thing that is obvious is the ability of American industry to produce them with cast or welded hulls, diesel or gasoline ("petrol" in the UK) engines and modified suspensions. The US could not only build enough for the needs of the US Army, but also give thousands to the British, Poles, Free French, Soviets, etc.The book gives a fairly good recounting of the operational history of the Sherman, including results of fighting from north Africa on. The author also includes both Army evaluations as well as first-person accounts of combat against German tanks. There are even a few pictures of up-gunned and powered Shermans in the Israeli IDF which used Shermans until the 1990's. If the book has a flaw, it is simply trying to cover too much. Having said that, I think it covered a lot of things very well.This is a good Osprey book with the usual excellent photos, color plates and very good text by author Steven Zaloga. It's a good primer or overview for someone who wants to learn about the Sherman, but doesn't want to get bogged down in a lot of detail. I recommend this book with four stars.

Very well written an researched! I enjoy reading very much! Well up to the high standards of publisher!!

A good summary about the development and early use of this important military vehicle. Of special note is that, not only are technical aspects considered, but also - political aspects. Apparently, the higher levels of the American command were not sufficiently aware about the Sherman's deficiencies. The Sherman's rolling over Axis resistance in North Africa gave a false impression of its potency. Encounters with the advanced Tiger and Panther tanks in Italy and France were harsh reality therapy,causing the Allied commanders to reluctantly realize that the Sherman was a good second choice.

Great book, very detailed and great pictures!

Indepth detailed look at the sherman

This book has great photography and it is well printed. The illustrations, although few, are well done. The book provides fun-to-read information on the M-4 tank It is a good supplement to use with other books on the subject. Note though, the book is more like a pamphlet than a book. It's thin, has a mere 48 pages, and can be fully read by an average reader in 10 to 15 minutes. Think about this before you dish out 17 clams for it.

This book is part of a collection. Contains lots of thecnical data. Very well structured.

模型造りのヒントに最適。細かいディティールがよく理解できる。このシリーズは安価で助かります。

Another excellent Osprey AFV book. Informative and packed with illustration and black and white photos. Just what I wanted to give me some overall background on this particular tank. Sold at a good price and quickly delivered.

This book deals with the Sherman. It single biggest user was USA, with Britain a VERY close second. Despite this, the book completely misses out the British and their substantial Sherman use. There is only one single passing mention, about Britain, which is odd, as the book covers the 'Users' of the Sherman. I'm not impressed, Zaloga. Not impressed at all. 48 pages, including index, for a Sherman book? I could write that.Print quality is also very low.

Just what i expect from these new vanguard books a concise and accurate description of the desired piece of equipment giving a brief description of development, variants and combat usage to provide a short picture of all aspects of the vehicle.