War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

XM1 (GM)

2022-04-19T18:23:55Z

U119849067: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_xm1_gm
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|store=6226
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.79 "Project X"]].

The XM-1 (GM) feels like an [[M1 Abrams]], being a prototype of that very vehicle. However, its specifications encourage anything but an M1 Abrams playstyle. You want to play the XM-1 (GM) like you would play a [[Leopard A1A1|Leopard]] or a [[Ru 251]]. Use your speed, mobility, and gun to hit the weak-spots on enemy tanks armour.

One thing to note with the XM-1 (GM) is its extremely loud tracks, in some cases louder than the engine. This can be annoying, to say the least.

Unless it has all skins unlocked, it is either going to be OD Green or on desert maps a sandy yellow/brown colour. Other distinctive features on the vehicle are the combined Gunner/Commander sight is also a distinctive feature as well as the angled hull very reminiscent of the Leopards in-game. The vehicle also employs a [[hydropneumatic suspension]]. This vehicle comes with night vision for the commander and driver; and thermal sights for the gunner.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Spaced armour (Hull front)
* Composite armour (Turret front)
* Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 76.2* mm (58°), 38.1 mm (83°) ''Upper'' ''Front glacis'' 76.2* mm (47°) ''Lower glacis'' || 19.05 mm ''Sponson'' 31.75 mm ''Front'' 31.75 + 31.75 mm ''Middle'' 31.75 mm ''Rear'' || 31.75 mm (9-62°) || 31.75 mm ''Front'' 25.4 mm ''Engine deck'' 5 mm ''Engine grille''
|-
| Turret || 76** mm (48°) 38.1 mm (49-52°) ''Gun mantlet'' 31.75 mm (64-71°) ''Turret underside'' || 38.1 mm (19°) ''Left'' 38.1 mm (21°) ''Right'' || 25.4 mm (0-67°) || 38.1 mm ''Front'' 25.4 mm ''Rear'' 12.7 mm ''Blowout panels''
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 25.4 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
! Spaced armour* !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || '''Upper glacis:''' 210 mm ''Kinetic'' 310 mm ''Chemical'' '''Lower glacis:''' 210 mm ''Kinetic'' 260 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A || N/A
|-
! Composite armour** !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Turret || '''Turret front:''' 250 mm ''Kinetic'' 580 mm ''Chemical'' || N/A || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick
* 6 mm RHA plate separates the fighting compartment from the engine
* Front composite side skirts are 50.8 mm thick
* Rear RHA side skirts are 6.35 mm thick

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=2,357|rbMinHp=1,345}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M68 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M68 (105 mm)|105 mm M68]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 55 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | Two-plane || 38.08 || 52.71 || 64.00 || 70.78 || 75.29 || rowspan="2" | 8.71 || rowspan="2" | 7.70 || rowspan="2" | 7.10 || rowspan="2" | 6.70
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 23.80 || 28.00 || 34.00 || 37.60 || 40.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M728 || APDS || 260 || 258 || 250 || 240 || 231 || 222
|-
| M456 || HEATFS || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400 || 400
|-
| M393A2 || HESH || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127 || 127
|-
| M735 || APFSDS || 353 || 350 || 342 || 333 || 322 || 312
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M728 || APDS || 1,426 || 4.65 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 75° || 78° || 80°
|-
| M456 || HEATFS || 1,173 || 10.5 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 1,270 || 65° || 72° || 77°
|-
| M393A2 || HESH || 732 || 14.85 || 0.1 || 4 || 4,310 || 73° || 77° || 80°
|-
| M735 || APFSDS || 1,501 || 3.7 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 76° || 77° || 80°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| M416 || 730 || 11.4 || 20 || 5 || 25 || 50
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Generally, the ammunition you want to be using is the M735 APFSDS round
* You can use the M456 HEATFS round as well for certain scenarios

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''55''' || 44 ''(+11)'' || 25 ''(+30)'' || 13 ''(+42)'' || 1 ''(+54)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Since there are no blowout panels for the first two ammo racks, but there are blowout panels for the last two ammo racks if you carry only 25 rounds a shot that hits ammo will not instantly destroy the tank, but will just set it on fire
* If you carried more than 25 rounds, there would be more ammo racks (making them an easier target), and if the racks in the hull are hit, you can instantly be destroyed

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|M85 (12.7 mm)|M240 (7.62 mm)|M60D (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M85 (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M85]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,000 (200) || 626 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M60D (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M60D]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 1,100 (100) || 651 || -5°/+20° || ±120°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M240 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M240]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 8,900 (200) || 941 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


This vehicle is best used as a support tank and not as a "brawler". Flanking is where this tank succeeds, using its speed and manoeuvrability to get to the rear or sides of the enemy. Another good tactic is to shoot-and-scoot to maximize the manoeuvrability and gun over an opponent. This tank can also be used to devastating effect in urban combat. In urban combat, it is advised that you never go alone, stay with or behind friendly tanks, and do not rush forward. If you play an ambush and defensive style of combat, at least at the beginning of the match, it is likely you will be able to get multiple kills/assists and should be able to stop the enemy push. If your team is winning, and the enemy is outnumbered, it may be possible to push forward quickly but cautiously, in order to flank and catch enemies off guard, hopefully securing victory for your team.

A note about the survivability of the XM-1 (GM): The XM-1 has relatively weak armour, but it is oddly survivable. It is somewhat rare to get killed by a single shot when playing the XM-1. Usually, it takes two or more shots to take it out, thanks to the spacey interior, and the blowout ammo racks in the turret. Sometimes it takes up to 10 badly aimed or unlucky shots to take out the XM-1, this is especially true for long-range shots.

Some enemies to be concerned about:

* [[T-64B|T-64B(V)]]: Aim for the drivers hatch if you are facing it frontally. If possible, get around to its side and hit it directly under the turret, you will detonate its ammo racks this way.
* [[Leopard 2K]]: The Leo 2K is extremely potent against XM-1's seeing as their speed and mobility is similar but the Leo has a better gun. The 2K, however, lacks sufficient armour to defeat your ammunition so hit the lower front plate or turret with M735.
* [[Leopard 2A4]]/[[Type 90]]: The hull and gun mantlets are weak spots and can be penetrated with M735. The Type 90 also has a glaring turret ring that can easily be targeted and penetrated.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good speed, manoeuvrability and acceleration
* Fast turret traverse of 38.08 degrees/second in arcade, and 23.8 degrees/second in realistic mode.
* The gun with the M735 APFSDS round is sufficient against most targets it will face
* Has hydropneumatic suspension control
* Three secondary machine guns
* Blow out ammo rack in the turret prevents an ammo shot from destroying the tank immediately
* Driver and commander get IR vision systems, while gunner has a thermal NVD

'''Cons:'''

* Has weak armour; it will get penetrated (even through the turret front) by any tank it will face, but can bounce a few shots at long range
* The M735 APFSDS round (353 mm of penetration point-blank) has trouble penetrating Russian tanks from the front
* Front plate is made up of spaced armour, which doesn't provide the protection comparable to composite
* Has a huge ammo rack in the hull (this can be negated by carrying only 25 rounds or less)
* Tracks are very noisy (louder than the engine!)
* Possess two very tall antennas on the back of the turret, which makes a bit easier for the enemy to spot this vehicle even from behind cover.

== History ==


It started in the early 1970s, at the height of the Cold War and the arms race. After the joint German-American project to create the MBT-70 main battle tank was closed, and the new all-American XM803 project was deemed an insufficient and too expensive response to the newest Soviet developments, the US Department of Defense developed a new list of requirements for the future American main battle tank. Two engineering giants joined the contest: the Chrysler and General Motors companies. Both contestants decided to use the developments for the MBT-70 and XM803 to design a new tank. Many corrections and additions were made to the tactical and technical requirements of the American government, first and foremost, on the defensive characteristics of the future main battle tank. The requirements for the tank's armour and survivability increased, along with its maintainability in the field. In addition, the Arab-Israeli conflict showed that a modern tank must have the ability to effectively destroy armoured targets at long distances, including with kinetic shells, and also have a sufficiently large complement of shells. In spite of the changes and additions to the technical specification, the contestants managed to achieve their goals, and by 1976, they presented their developments, the experimental prototypes of the XM-1 tank, for testing. Both vehicles were outwardly very similar, with practically identical dimensions. They were alike in their layouts and used the same 105 mm M68 rifled cannon. Both tanks turned out very well. Which prototype did the military choose, and why?

The XM-1 (GM), the contest model from General Motors, became a further development of ideas and technological solutions for the MBT-70 and XM803 projects, including the diesel powertrain and mixed undercarriage with six roller wheels per side, three with hydraulic suspension and three with torsion bar suspension. The competitor to General Motors, the Chrysler company, used their XM-1 (C) model to present not only a progressive gas-turbine engine but also a new undercarriage with seven independent roller wheels on each side with individual torsion bar suspension. In addition, the Chrysler engineers were able to save funds on constructing the tank by optimizing the components of the aiming equipment and the gun stabilization system. These details played a decisive role in the selection of the contractor to make the XM-1 project a reality. In spite of the fact that numerous flaws and "teething problems" arose during the project, the prototype for the USA's next-generation main battle tank was confirmed. After several cycles of correcting issues and modernizing the prototype XM-1 (C), the first vehicles began to be deployed under the designation M1 Abrams.

''-From [[wt:en/news/5515-development-xm-1-c-and-xm-1-gm-ancestors-of-the-abrams-updated-en|Devblog]]''

== Media ==


;Images

[[File:XM-1 (GM) and (C) Comparison.jpeg|400px|thumb|none|Comparison between a [[XM-1 (GM)]] and a [[XM-1 (Chrysler)]], side by side.]]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|WAV4oXHb5aY|'''Premium Vehicles: XM-1 GM vs Chrysler''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''}}

== See also ==


* [[XM-1 (Chrysler)]] - Xbox One exclusive vehicle featuring the competing XM-1 model

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/5515-development-xm-1-c-and-xm-1-gm-ancestors-of-the-abrams-updated-en|[Devblog] XM-1 (C) and XM-1 (GM): Ancestors of the Abrams]]

{{TankManufacturer GM}}
{{USA medium tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

T29

2022-04-19T18:14:35Z

U119849067: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code=us_t29
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|store=5266
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} American heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. The {{PAGENAME}} was introduced in the [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]] as a gift vehicle and was available on the Gaijin store as a [[wt:en/news/3742-shop-pre-order-packs-for-update-1-59-flaming-arrows-with-exclusive-decals-en|pre-order pack]] before the update. The {{PAGENAME}} is a formidable heavy tank that introduces the 105 mm T5 cannon in a rotating turret rather than in the fixed case-mate setting like the [[T95]], with a tougher-than-average gun mantlet, and a sloped, but slightly thin hull.

The {{PAGENAME}} is perhaps one of the best performing heavy tanks at Rank IV, right up there with the [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]] and [[Tiger II (Family)|Tiger II]] tanks. Thanks to the 105 mm cannon, the {{PAGENAME}} can engage most enemies it faces on the battlefield from the front, often destroying an enemy tank with a single shot with the extremely powerful T13 APCBC round. With a frontal armour thick enough to block most incoming shots, The {{PAGENAME}} can act as the "damage sponge" of the team by absorbing or shrugging off most of the enemy fire. As its gun has a high muzzle velocity, it can also act as a sniping tank by positioning in the back or sides of the map and fire at any unsuspecting enemy tank. A single T13 APCBC round can destroy even the strongest tank if it penetrates the side armour. Like other heavy tanks, the {{PAGENAME}} has an average mobility but has a lower top speed than its main rivals: the IS-2 mod. 1944 and the Tiger II (H) and only better than the Caernarvon. Nonetheless, it possesses an above-average acceleration, making it more suited for dense environments.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}


'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides, Hull rear)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 102 mm (52-56°) ''Front Glacis'' 70.25 mm (26-59°) ''Bottom Glacis'' 102 mm (6-81°) ''Machine gun port'' || 76.2 mm ''Front'' 51 mm ''Rear'' || 51 mm (9°) ''Upper'' 19 mm (11-66°) ''Lower'' || 38.1 mm
|-
| Turret || 158.7 mm (18-31°) ''Turret front'' 203 mm (0-9°) ''Gun mantlet'' 305 mm (1-57°) ''Gun mantlet border'' || 158.7 mm (3-42°) || 102 mm (1-20°) ''Rear'' 50 mm (63-84°) ''Bottom of turret overhang'' || 38.1 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 152.4 mm || 38.1 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Front belly armour is 25.4 mm thick while the rear is 13 mm.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=994|rbMinHp=681}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|T5E2 (105 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[T5E2 (105 mm)|105 mm T5E2]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 63 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 14.6 || 20.2 || 24.5 || 27.1 || 28.8 || rowspan="2" | 16.25 || rowspan="2" | 14.38 || rowspan="2" | 13.25 || rowspan="2" | 12.50
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 10.7 || 12.6 || 15.3 || 16.9 || 18.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| T32 || APCBC || 256 || 253 || 238 || 221 || 205 || 190
|-
| T13 || APCBC || 253 || 250 || 236 || 219 || 204 || 190
|-
| T29E3 || APCR || 292 || 287 || 266 || 242 || 220 || 200
|-
| T30E1 || HE || 20 || 20 || 20 || 20 || 20 || 20
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| T32 || APCBC || 914 || 17.7 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| T13 || APCBC || 899 || 18.59 || 1.2 || 19 || 177.38 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| T29E3 || APCR || 1,128 || 11.2 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| T30E1 || HE || 945 || 15.2 || 0 || 0.1 || 1,550 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo type
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''63''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 58 ''(+5)'' 39 ''(+24)'' || 50 ''(+13)'' 9 ''(+54)'' || 42 ''(+21)'' 7 ''(+56)'' || 9 ''(+54)'' 1 ''(+62)'' || 1 ''(+62)'' N/A || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks.
* Projectiles and propellants are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
* Racks 3*, 4* and 5* are first stage ammo racks. They total 8 projectiles and 8 propellant bags.
* These racks get filled first when loading up the tank and are also emptied early.
* The projectiles' depletion order at full capacity is: 5 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
* The propellants' depletion order at full capacity is: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|4}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial mount #1 || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Coaxial mount #2 || 1,200 (200) || 577 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle mount || 1,000 (200) || 577 || -10°/+50° || ±120°
|-
|}
One of the hidden gems of this tank, the three .50cals enable a player to effectively blind enemies, shred lightly armoured vehicles, and engage unsuspecting aircraft. Two of the machineguns are mounted in the turret and are controlled by the gunner. They are locked with the sight of the main gun, thus are also subjected to the limited elevation angles of the turret. The third machinegun is located at the roof of the turret and is pintle mounted. While this top gun is technically able to freely move around, its actual training speed is rather slow. It is best to use this gun to engage slower moving aircraft or those flying in a predictable path.

One spicy advantage of the .50cal is its ability to de-track enemy vehicles in close-quarters. With three .50cals, immobilizing enemy tanks at close range will take a matter of seconds, and grant you the tactical initiative against whoever's tracks you just shredded.

== Usage in battles ==


;Combat tactics

* In an ''offensive role'', the {{PAGENAME}} can be used in 2 main ways. The more common and safer strategy is to team up with another tank, preferably a heavy or medium tank. Move up to the frontline while covering each other, leapfrog each time so one tank snipes an enemy while the other moves to a cover position with an advantageous firing position, then keep advancing at a safe pace. The other method is to get right up in their face, only giving them shots at the {{PAGENAME}}'s tough frontal armour. As aggressive this strategy is, it leaves the {{PAGENAME}} open to attacks from the sides. This is a last-ditch strategy generally. In either offence strategy, the biggest risk is getting too far ahead from the rest of your allies, leaving the {{PAGENAME}} vulnerable and without any supporting fire.

* In a ''defensive role'', the {{PAGENAME}} truly shines in a hull down position. Frontally, its turret is tough and the cheeks are sloped enough to bounce most shots. The only real target available would be the small cupola on the turret roof and the turret ring if it is not covered. While the gun barrel is vulnerable to being broken, a moderate crew can repair it in seconds. Although the gun depression angle isn't as great as other American tanks, it still provides an advantage in hilly terrain. When in the right spot, the player can devastate the enemy team with almost no risk to themselves by exposing only the gun barrel and the top of the mantlet. Be aware that there are certain spots and ports in the mantlet that can be penetrated even by a Wirbelwind using PzGr 40 rounds. Players experienced with American heavies can find a good spot that will provide them with ample cover while they support the team. Wiggling the turret while reloading can make the enemy bounce, same tactics as seen with the IS-2. Some shots to the lower gun mantlet may also bounce downwards and penetrate the thin hull roof.

;Notables enemies

* [[Tiger II (P)]] and [[Tiger II (H)|(H)]]: These are going to be the most common and equal enemy. While most of the {{PAGENAME}}'s front armour can take on the 88 mm APCBC round, APCR can penetrate the front mantlet of the turret. It can also aim for the lower glacis on the hull, which will knock-out the driver and can repeatedly do this until the entire crew gets knocked out. To fight the Tiger II's, aim at the cheeks of the turret with any ammo, preferably the right as that is where the gunner sits. Using the T32 APBC ammo, there is a chance that it can penetrate the Tiger II's front glacis at close range (less than 100 m) and the lower glacis from even further, making the T32 round probably the most preferable round to use against the Tiger II's front. If the {{PAGENAME}} can get the Tiger's side though, a simple T13 APCBC round can turn a Tiger II into a fiery ball of fire.
* [[Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)]]: Though the same rule applies to the 88 mm Tiger II, take extreme caution as the 10.5 cm cannon can penetrates the {{PAGENAME}}'s mantlet from the front and devastate interior. Rounds aimed at the Tiger II 10.5's rangefinder (bulges on the sides of the turret) may splash inside the turret, knocking out the gunner and likely a loader as well.
* [[Jagdpanther]]: Equipped with the same 88 mm as on the Tiger II, this tank destroyer can do some damage if it can get a good shot. However, the {{PAGENAME}}'s 105 mm cannon can easily penetrate through its front glacis, just don't shoot too close to the gun or the gun mantlet may bounce it.
* [[Ferdinand]]: The greater armour on this tank destroyer makes it harder to fight in a long-range engagement. However, if the {{PAGENAME}} can get closer, the flat armour space on the top superstructure and the hull front can prove more vulnerable. Of course, getting to the side of this tank destroyer is a guaranteed point if an APCBC round can be landed into it.
* [[ISU-152]]: While easily destroyed by one shot of the 105 mm cannon, the 152 mm howitzer still can do unspeakable damage if it hits the {{PAGENAME}}'s vulnerable turret and hull roof.

;Defeating a {{PAGENAME}}

* With 4 crewmen sitting in the turret, any penetrating shot to the turret with a good post-penetration damage means most certainly the destruction of your vehicle.
* In a frontal encounter, aim for the {{PAGENAME}}'s lower glacis or the hull MG port (small area).
* When flanking, aim for the hull section under the turret. Make sure to avoid shooting the tracks. Follow up with a shot at the driver's position if it survives.
* You can also aim at the engine compartment to immobilize the {{PAGENAME}} and then let your teammates finish it.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Armed with an extremely good 105 mm gun that's far superior to the T32's 90 mm gun
* T13 round has both high penetration power and post-penetration damage potential. Penetrating an enemy's crew compartment is almost always a kill
* Has a fantastic set of optics with magnification levels of 4x-8x. Great for both quick close range target acquisition and long range sniping
* Great overall turret armour. Only guns that penetrate more than 200 mm of armour pose a real threat
* 10 degrees of gun depression coupled with the really strong turret makes the {{PAGENAME}} great at shooting from ridgelines and hull-down fighting
* Armed with three .50 cal machine guns, allowing the {{PAGENAME}} to easily damage lightly armoured vehicles and tracks

'''Cons:'''

* The lower glacis plate is both long and weakly armoured. Any gun packing over 165 mm of penetration poses a threat if the lower plate is visible
* While tough, the gun mantlet is not impenetrable. Guns like the Tiger II's 88 mm can punch right through it at ranges exceeding 500 m
* The T29 is much slower than other heavy tanks at the same BR
* Tall silhouette like the Tiger II, making it very hard to hide
* The {{PAGENAME}} has an enormous amount of ammo lining the right turret cheek and rear turret compartment
* Unlike most tanks at the BR, the sides of the engine compartment are much weaker than the sides of the hull. Coupled with the placement of the turret, this means the {{PAGENAME}} isn't good at side scraping
* Only one of the .50 cal machine guns can effectively engage aircraft flying higher than coaxial level

== History ==


===Development===
Projects for a dedicated heavy tank for the U.S. Armed Forces began in March 1944 as a response to the German heavy tanks that have been popping up in Europe. While the T26E3 tank, later known as the [[M26]] Pershing was slated to be the next-generation American tank, it was still considered unsuitable against the even heavier [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]]. A project to increase the armour and firepower commenced countering this problem, the project titled '''Heavy Tank T29'''. Using design elements from the T26E3 with thicker armour and lengthened hull, the T29 also was equipped with the [[T5E2 (105 mm)|105 mm Gun T5]], a gun in development alongside the heavy assault tank [[T95]]. Other features included a 770 hp Ford GAC engine, armour thickness up to 279 mm effective, and a coincidence range-finder. The heavy armour and armament made the tank weigh about 64 tons, making it a close match to the Tiger II.

Though the T29 was monstrous itself, side projects involving the T29 crafted the [[T30|T30 Heavy Tank]]. Itself similar to the T29 in terms of armour, but featured a monstrous [[T7 (155 mm)|155 mm Gun T7]] with a more powerful engine and an extra crew member to facilitate loading the gun.

===Effect in World War II===
Throughout World War II, the T29 and the T30 stayed in development under the priority "limited procurement". Eventually, the war in Europe ended in May 1945, but the small ordered stayed in hope it may be useful in the Japan invasion in Operation Downfall. That hope was smashed as well when Japan surrendered in September 1945, ending World War II. Even if an operation commenced that used these vehicles, the Army Ground Forces objected to the use of such heavy equipment due to the lack of adequate transporters. Further production was cancelled in the post-war demilitarization.

===Post World War Effect===
The heavy tank concept didn't end with the war and a final attempt was made to remake the T29 into a more modern, lethal weapon system. This produced the [[T34|T34 Heavy Tank]], which mounted a 120 mm gun based on the M1 anti-aircraft gun. The calibre made an adequate balance of firepower and loading ease between the 105 mm and the 155 mm used in the T29 and T30. In fact, the two T34 pilot models made were a converted T29 and T30. However, the demilitarization took down the T34 program as well, but the experience in this project help engineers in the development of the [[M103|M103 Heavy Tank]].

Today, there are a few T29s still in display across the United States, most of them residing in storage at Fort Benning, Georgia where they will be used as a display in the future National Armor and Cavalry Museum.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_t29 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|owYlJZ4LgyA|'''The Shooting Range #36''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 02:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|z_rLi-s7U2k|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review - Too Awesome : Pay-to-win?''' - ''Napalmratte''|n9KdgbSzla8|'''The Shooting Range #23''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 03:26 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|NLr2swmOW_w|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[T29 Heavy Tank (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/3731-development-t29-the-experimental-monster-video-added-en|[Devblog] T29: The Experimental Monster]]
* [[wikipedia:T29_Heavy_Tank|[Wikipedia] T29 Heavy Tank]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2-usa-heavy-tank-t29/ <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Heavy Tank T29]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=352 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> T29 (Heavy Tank T29)]

{{USA heavy tanks}}
{{USA premium ground vehicles}}

M16 MGMC

2022-04-14T20:49:56Z

U119849067: /* History */

{{About
| about = American SPAA '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other half-track vehicles based on the M3
| link = M3 Half-Track (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_halftrack_m16
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft (SPAA) {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American vehicles to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. Unlike its predecessor, the [[M13 MGMC|M13 MGMC]], the M16 is equipped with not two, but four .50 calibre machine guns mounted on a Maxson M45 Quadmount to fight against enemy aircraft.

The point of the vehicle is to protect the team against threatening aircraft, it does so quite unusual when compared to other nations SPAA of this rank. Other nations SPAA come equipped with cannons, like the Sd.kfz 6/2 of Germany that comes equipped with the lethal 37 mm Flak 18. The M16 MGC uses several HMGs to shoot down hostile aircraft with a hail of bullets that focuses on volume-of-fire rather than damage-per-round.

Multiple heavy machine guns harmonized together to allow for surprisingly decent self-defence against poorly armoured enemy tanks and equipment.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 6.35 mm (31°) ''Hood front'' 12.7 mm (31°) ''Driver port'' || 6.35 mm || 6.35 mm || N/A
|-
| Turret || 12.7 mm || N/A || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension bogies are 10 mm thick, suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, and tracks are 7 mm thick. Front wheels provide 2 mm armour.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=210|rbMinHp=131}}

As a half-track, the {{PAGENAME}} is light and thus agile. While it has a high top speed, the acceleration is quite slow: expect a cruise speed between 40 and 45 km/h instead. The reverse speed is good, allowing you to pull out of dangerous situations. Like all WW2 wheeled vehicles, you can not turn on the spot and always need space to change direction. However, thanks to the rear tracks, your turn radius remains small at small speed. But remember that the faster you drive, the bigger the turn radius will be. Changing directions in a cramped street can be difficult with the {{PAGENAME}}. The lack of neutral steering makes turning on the spot slow (4 km/h): make sure to build a little speed before turning and you'll turn faster (12 km/h). The offroad mobility is average: the {{PAGENAME}} reaches 14 km/h when fording and 18 km/h when driving uphill. The {{PAGENAME}} has a very high cruise speed on hard surfaces (solid ground, roads). While its high speed is an advantage, it can turn into a disadvantage when manoeuvring at high speed: the {{PAGENAME}} starts oversteering when you turn because of its high centre of gravity and ends up skidding uncontrollably. Be aware of this before gunning towards the frontline: limit your maximum speed and anticipate the braking phases. As it is equipped with front tires, the {{PAGENAME}} struggles on soft terrain (sand, mud, snow). Light obstacles (fences and bushes) will make you bleed speed and medium to large obstacles (posts, trees, concrete blocks and parked vehicles) will stop your vehicle: avoid them.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]] (x4) || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 4,800 (200) || rowspan="2" | 577 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+90° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 52.84 || 73.13 || 88.80 || 98.20 || 104.47 || rowspan="2" | 18.20 || rowspan="2" | 16.10 || rowspan="2" | 14.84 || rowspan="2" | 14.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 35.70 || 42.00 || 51.00 || 56.40 || 60.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''Common:''' {{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|I|M1 incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - These rounds work well until the others are researched.
* '''API:''' {{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-I|M8 armour-piercing incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - These are absolutely devastating in the AA role with slightly less performance against enemy tanks than AP.
* '''AP:''' {{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP|M2 armour-piercing}}{{-}}{{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - These are best against enemy tanks at close range and do good damage to planes.
* '''APIT:''' {{Annotation|API-T|M20 armour-piercing incendiary tracer}} - Better than API in all regards but not as good against tanks as AP, this is the belt of choice in almost all situations. Since every bullet is a tracer, it makes destroying aircraft much easier and detectability is not greatly increased over AP-I, however is increased a bit over AP.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="7" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Common || 31 || 30 || 26 || 22 || 18 || 15
|-
| API || 30 || 29 || 24 || 20 || 16 || 13
|-
| AP || 31 || 30 || 26 || 22 || 18 || 15
|-
| APIT || 30 || 29 || 24 || 20 || 16 || 13
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Belt details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Belt
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| APIT || API-T || 929 || 0.04 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 56° || 65°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''24''' || 12 ''(+12)'' || 0 ''(+24)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Although there are 24 ammo boxes, only 10 are modeled including 4 loaded on the machine guns.
* Since there are four .50 M2HB machine guns, each reload will load 4 ammo boxes onto the guns with each box containing 200 rounds.

== Usage in battles ==

First of all go to a good open spot, most times it is enough to stay in the spawn point. Best ammunition for this vehicle are API (Armour Piercing Incendiary bullet) or APIT (Armour Piercing Incendiary Tracer bullet), as the specialized AP belt doesn't offer a significant advantage.

"The Meat Chopper" is inaccurate when enemy planes are operating at high altitudes, but in these cases, its function is more psychological than effective. Shooting short bursts at enemy planes at high altitudes will show them that the team is always covered by AA fire and it won't be an easy task a ground attack.

When an enemy is diving, the best way to defend the attack is by creating a thick fire curtain with prolonged bursts.
The most vulnerable moment for aircraft is when they just dropped bombs or rockets and climb again. They're flying very slow and become easy targets.
Take care if planes are attacking. Fighters with their MG's and cannons are a great menace. So start moving while firing and take cover behind trees or even buildings.

Watch out for remaining ammunition. The {{PAGENAME}} has 800 rounds to shoot but reloading is very slow, making the {{PAGENAME}} and the team vulnerable in the worst moments. More than 200 rounds is a good margin.

Don't try to do anti-tank tasks, the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with 50 cal. Machine guns are not as effective as cannons at fighting more armoured vehicles, as they have much less penetration, so stay at the spawn point and do anti-aircraft work. The machine gun tracers can reveal enemy snipers position shooting, allowing teammates to see them, but it's not advisable.

In addition, artillery barrages are very dangerous, move immediately and relocate.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Powerful guns that can shred planes with well-aimed bursts within 1 km
* API shells are powerful enough to damage or even destroy enemy light tanks and other SPAAs
* Fast on flat ground and can remarkably speed through terrain that would impede wheeled vehicles
* Can turn in place, compared to other wheeled SPAA
* Great acceleration
* Fast turret traverse allows following aircraft easily
* Can shrug off rifle calibre ammunition (<7.92 mm) quite easily
* Fast reverse speeds, can evacuate an area quickly if necessary
* Accurate on the move
* AP bullets can be used for hunting light tanks

'''Cons:'''

* Armour will not resist HMG fire and shrapnel
* A nearby explosion will seriously damage the vehicle and injure or maim the crew
* Fighter aircraft can destroy this vehicle, especially cannon-armed fighters
* Can not hurt vehicles to a full extent of its rank and Battle Rating, excluding SPAA trucks and half-tracks
* Engine catches fire easily and the vehicle can be "tracked
* No weight to pull: Towing or pushing allies is nearly impossible unless it is a lighter vehicle
* Prone to tipping over when turning at high speeds or travelling across steep inclines
* Small crew, and only 1 spare crew member
* Cannot turn on the spot, as it is a half-track
* Entire crew is exposed; a plane ramming you can knock out the crew
* Vulnerable to artillery barrages since it has an open top

== History ==

===Development===
The role of a mobile anti-aircraft vehicle in the US Army was seen as necessary in order to protect ground troops from enemy aircraft at any place of their deployment. The first such development was the [[M13 MGMC|M13 MGMC]], which was an anti-aircraft system of two .50 cal machine gun on the back of an M3 Half-Track car. The M13 served with some success, but by 1943 an upgraded version was in production.

The new vehicle in development was an improvement over the M13 MGMC from replacing the two .50 cal machine guns with four instead, while still based off the M13 design by using the M3 Half-Track as the chassis. The prototype was called the ''T61 MGMC'', but once accepted at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, it was designated the '''M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage'''. During the evaluations, some changes to the design were made, including the addition of a gun shield. Production started in May 1943 and continued on until March 1944 with the production of 2,877 M16 MGMC vehicles by White Motor Company. An additional 568 M13 and 109 T10 Half-tracks were also converted into M16 vehicles for a total of about 3,550 M16 units made.

===Combat usage===
The M16 MGMC saw service in early 1944, replacing the M13 that came before it. Deployment of the M16 MGMC is usually alongside the [[M15A1 CGMC|M15 CGMC]], another anti-aircraft weapon equipped with a 37 mm autocannon as well as two .50 machine guns. The M16 MGMC was very popular with the troops as not only was it able to take down low-flying aircraft with relative ease, it was also used in an infantry support role where it earns the nickname "The Meat Chopper". The ability to provide covering fire with its four .50 calibre machine guns give the M16 a huge firepower advantage over the standard infantry and in some cases, were used to cut down trees where snipers were suspected to be hiding. The M16 also saw service with the Allies in the British Commonwealth and the Soviet Union, where they make use of it in the same way America did in anti-aircraft and ground support roles. The M16 saw service in the Italian Campaign, the French Campaign, and the Battle of the Bulge.

After World War II, the M16 MGMC still saw service in American forces in the Korean War, as well as by their South Korean allies. While still superb at a ground support role, the advancing technology in aircraft make them more advanced and durable to the .50 calibre machine guns and so its effect as an anti-aircraft gun has diminished. By late 1951, the M16 MGMC was declared a "limited standard" and were gradually retired from US service, though they continued to serve until the end of the US involvement in the Korean War. The M16 MGMC was finally declared obsolete by 1958.

=== In-game description ===
The W.L. Maxson Corporation developed the M45 turret emplacement, which was equipped with four 12.7 mm Browning M2HB machine guns, to meet troop requirements for more concentrated defensive fire. The new turret was tested on the M2 half-track personnel carrier chassis, later moving to the M3 chassis.

The self-propelled AA weapon with the new turret went through trials and was accepted as the M16 MGMC.

The new vehicles were produced by the White Motor Company beginning in May 1943, continuing through 1943 and into 1944. In all, 2,877 units were assembled.

Almost all of the M16 MGMCs served in the US army's AA divisions, while an additional 70 were sent to the Free French army. The model was used primarily in the European theater to go along with a small number that saw action in the Philippines.

The M16 MGMC was successfully used against both air and ground targets, as well as to take out enemy infantry. It was also used somewhat widely by US army divisions during the Korean War, after which it was removed from service.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_halftrack_m16 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ZyVCphSr60I|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M13 MGMC]]
* [[CCKW 353 (M45)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/677/|[Devblog] Steel Generals: M16 Halftrack]]
* [[wt:en/devblog/current/719/|[Devblog] Developers about the M16 MGMC]]
* [[wt:en/news/3511/current/|[Vehicle Profile] M16 MGMC - The Meat Chopper]]
* [[wikipedia:M16_Multiple_Gun_Motor_Carriage|[Wikipedia] M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M3_Halftrack.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Half Track Car M3]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=935 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC)]

{{TankManufacturer White Motor Company}}
{{USA anti-aircraft vehicles}}
[[Category:Half-tracks]]

M4A1

2022-04-14T20:41:14Z

U119849067: /* Ammunition */

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other M4 Shermans
| link-1 = M4 Sherman (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4a1_1942_sherman
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first American tanks to be released with the American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The M4A1 is the first Sherman to be unlocked in the American ground tree and provides the player a new balance in armour, firepower, and mobility to use against the enemy. The in-game model is the basic Sherman design during the years of fighting in North Africa, informally called "Sherman 1" with a basic M38 telescopic sight inside the M4 periscope as the gunner's main method of aiming.

The M4A1 Sherman is distinctive from its cast hull construction, causing it to have a curved hull shape. This causes the front hull armour to have a varying slope angle across the glacis, but it also presents several weaknesses. First is in the hull front and side joint with slightly flat angles when angling the tank, the next is the cast construction which diminishes the labelled effectiveness of the front armour. The last is the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. Though at its battle rating, its armour is still effective against smaller gun caliber enemy fire.

The 75 mm M3 gun is mounted in the M34 gun mount with the periscope, a skinny gun mount compared to the future M34A1 which all future 75 mm M4 Sherman guns are mounted. This lowers the area the gun mantlet covers to contribute to turret front armour but does present a slightly greater gun depression by -2° than the future M34A1 mounts.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

*Cast homogeneous armour (hull, turret, cupola)
*Rolled homogeneous armour (hull side - bottom)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 19.5 mm (63-84°) ''Front glacis - Upper section'' 50.8 mm (48-63°) ''Front glacis - Centre section'' 34 + 25.4 mm (spherical) ''MG port'' 38.1 mm (spherical) ''Front glacis - Sides'' 50.8 mm (cylindrical) ''Transmission housing'' || 38.1 mm (1-24°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm ''Upper plate'' 38.1 mm (13°) ''Lower plate'' 38.1 mm (50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 50.8 mm (27-39°) ''Front glacis'' 19.5 mm (0-28°) Turret area'' 19.5 mm (7°) ''Engine bay - centre'' 19.5 mm (20-24°) ''Engine bay - sides
|-
| Turret || 50.8-76.2 mm (18-71°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 + 76.2 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (cylindrical) || 50.8 mm (4°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 50.8 mm (spherical) || 50.8 mm (spherical) ''Outer ring'' 25.4 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while bogies are 10 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
* Bolt edges on the transmission housing are 101.6 mm thick.

Taking out the M4A1 Sherman is not an incredibly difficult task. Any gun with 100+ mm of penetration will go through the front plate. Panzer III users, however, would have some trouble penetrating the sloped frontal armour, even the later Panzer III models with the 50 mm KwK 39 cannon. The T-34 with the L-11 cannon can also have a difficult time penetrating the front armour. Instead, use your speed and mobility to flank the Sherman, and a shot to the 38mm thick side armour will most likely cause an ammo detonation, destroying the Sherman. If you are forced to face a Sherman head-on, aim for the flat spot around the vision blocks at the top of the front plate. They are extremely thin and upon penetration will destroy or heavily disable the Sherman.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=620|rbMinHp=354}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

At this rank, the difference between a stock tank and an upgraded one are quite minimal as the M4 Sherman still has adequate firepower and mobility to make a difference on the front-lines. The most notable traits would be sluggishness due to the engine and general inaccuracy over long ranges.

Focus on the survival parts, and then move on towards the M61 shot module, which will improve instant destruction upon penetration.

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M3 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 90 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+18° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 23.7 || 31.6 || 38.4 || 42.5 || 45.2 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.8 || 16.8 || 20.4 || 22.6 || 24.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When discussing {{PAGENAME}} shells, one always has to account for the fact that it's a medium tank. This means short to medium engagement range, so realistically it can benefit more from its short-range penetration figures than long-range sniping tanks would.

* M72 shot - {{Annotation|AP|Armour-Piercing}} - Solid shot, stock shell. Acceptable penetration, poor post-penetration damage.
* M48 shell - {{Annotation|HE|High-Explosive fragmentation shell}} - Low-velocity shell useful against soft targets, in particular when hitting an open-topped vehicle. Harmless against any vehicle with more than 10 mm of armour.
* M61 shot - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped}} - This shell has a better penetration than the M72 thanks to its ballistic cap and a good post-penetration damage thanks to its explosive filler.
* M89 smoke shell - Useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 91 || 88 || 78 || 67 || 57 || 49
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 104 || 101 || 90 || 78 || 68 || 59
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 619 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 463 || 6.3 || 0 || 0.1 || 666 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 618 || 6.79 || 1.2 || 14 || 63.7 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| M89 || 259 || 3 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''90''' || 82 ''(+8)'' || 75 ''(+15)'' || 72 ''(+18)'' || 70 ''(+20)'' || 54 ''(+36)'' || 38 ''(+52)'' || 22 ''(+68)'' || 1 ''(+89)'' || Yes
|-
|}
Notes:

* The visual discrepancy concerns rack 8: 28 shells are modeled but it contains only 21 shells.
* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
* Flanks and turret empty: 22 ''(+68)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+22° || ±60°
|-
|}
The roof-mounted M2HB .50 cal heavy machine gun is very good at knocking out tracks, punching through lightly armoured vehicles and shooting down low-flying aircraft. Use it sparsely because of its low ammo count.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the M1919A4 machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==


The M4A1 Sherman is a very capable medium tank. The 75 mm M3 cannon is capable of destroying nearly all armoured targets at the battle rating. Combined with the very fast turret traverse rate, fast reload time of 6.5 seconds and a vertical gun stabilizer, this tank is suited to an aggressive play style due to the M4A1's ability to react quickly and fire relatively accurately without coming to a full stop. The gun depression of -12° also makes this tank excel in hull-down positions, unlike any other tank. One must take into account this tanks very thin side armour of 38.1 mm thick, anti-tank weaponry of any rank will be capable of penetrating this weak side armour so protect the flanks.

Beware of this tank's very poor reverse speed as it only has one reverse gear. This affects the tank's ability to play in a defensive role. In addition, this tank is very prone to an engine fire, so the FPE is a modification that must be completed ASAP. Also, be sure not to let the enemy get sight of the driver and radio operators hull viewports. One single halfway decent shot, even from 20 to 30 mm guns can end the M4A1.

When it comes to armour, it may save you from time to time, but don't rely on it too much. Never angle this tank, becouse the rounded edges of the upper frontal plate are very thin. Remember that your biggest adventage is the combination of good mobility, capable gun, and decent armour.

The M4A1 Sherman plays best in an aggressive role. Firing on the move is not a difficult task with this tank due to the vertical stabilizer. Take advantage of this tank's immense gun depression of -12°.

The tall profile of the tank is an advantage and disadvantage. In the context of a hull down position, it is an advantage due to the M4A1 being able to angle the turret down over a hill or crest without having to pull further up the hill. The tall profile, however, does make the M4A1 more visible and the tall hull makes it easy to set off an ammo rack.

Enemies worth noting at this rank are the Panzer IV F2, the T-34 variants with the F-34 cannon, and the British Churchill infantry tank. All these tanks have adequate guns that could destroy the M4A1 in one shot.

If the M4A1 has been uptiered then it has a significantly higher chance of being picked off due to its weak side armour and with the rest of its armour being less effective due to more advanced enemy cannons.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

[[M4A2]] / [[M4A4 (1st PTG)|A4]]: these Sherman tanks are widely used by over 3 nations that spread across both the Allied and the Axis side, so no matter which nation you play they can be quite tough to destroy in the hands of a skilled tanker. Given the rather weak penetration of your short 75mm gun, their hull can be almost impossible to penetrate when angled, hull down or 300m away. For a M4A4, there are 2 apparent bulges on the upper front plate, a penetration through there can guarantee a knock out most of the times. But in case the opponent covers them up or when it's a M4A2, aim for the middle parts of the gun mantlet or the turret armour unprotected by the mantlet, you can at least make them defenseless. Note that their guns are equally weak against you, so wiggle around to disrupt their aim while you reload, you have a good chance of bouncing some shells.

[[KV I C 756 (r) (Germany)|KV I C 756 (r)]]:

A vehicle that the M4 Sherman will have trouble against is this German KV-1. While the [[KV-1 (L-11)|L-11]] is underpowered, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|ZiS-5]] is potent enough to punch through the Sherman's front, and the Sherman is unable to penetrate the KV-1's thick armour especially with its add-on armour plates. If this heavy tank is encountered and it's angling the hull, aim at the gun mantlet as it is only 50 mm thick. You can knock out its gunner easily. Or shoot at the thin cupola, there's also some chance to knock out the gunner. Of course, the best way is to shoot at its sides and rear without any angle, where its armour is unsloped, though it will still have to be at a close range to penetrate the armour. In addition, shots to the sides will most likely hit fuel tanks or ammunition storage, causing a fire or ammunition detonation and at best, time to reassess the situation.

[[Churchill I]], [[Churchill III]], [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]]:

The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to penetrate at range. Again, manoeuvre as close to them as possible, the ideal distance being no more than 200 m. If they are angling their hull but facing their turret at you, only go for the turret. For the Mk I Churchills, aim at the near-vertical part of their rounded cheeks to ensure successful penetrations. For the Mk III and the German Churchill, also aim for their flat turret which is at most 89 mm. The shell should go in easily and knock out most, if not all of the crew. Only when you are facing their hull without any angles should you shoot the hull, otherwise shoot the turret only, as their big tracks can easily get in front of the frontal hull. The side hull have multiple layers of armour, some of which are weirdly angled and can absorb plenty of shells.

[[Pz.IV F2]]/[[Pz.IV G|G]]/[[Pz.IV H|H]]/[[Pz.IV J|J]]:

The historical nemesis of any Sherman, the Panzer IV is one of the Sherman's biggest threats at this rank. The long barrel 75 mm gun will easily penetrate the Sherman from the front. The F2 variant is admittedly easy to deal with. A single APCBC to its hull or turret should end it pretty quickly, even at long range. The other variants are slightly harder to deal with. They have thicker hull armour, at 80 mm, which will be much harder to penetrate with the APCBC over 500 m. Luckily the turret armour remains the same at 50 mm. Either aim here with APCBC or sacrifice damage potential and use the AP round to penetrate the hull.

[[StuG III F]]/[[StuG III G|G]]:

Another historical nemesis of the Sherman, and another big threat. The StuG III packs the same punch as the Panzer IV line with its long barrel 75 mm gun, whilst losing the turret, which turns out to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Lacking a turret means that it will have to traverse the whole vehicle to target an enemy, but it also means that it has a lower profile. The StuG's armour profile is also more complex than the Panzer IV, with less flat areas. Certain areas are sloped and very bouncy. Luckily, there is a big weak spot. There are two flat plates on the front of the hull. The flat plate on the right is the drivers port. Shoot that and you are able to knock out the driver, gunner and loader in one go. This is a very efficient way to destroy this vehicle. With the F variant, you can use APCBC to instantly one-shot this vehicle. With the G variant, it is more reliable to use AP at ranges within 500 m to ensure penetration.

[[R3 T20 FA-HS]]:

This speedy wheeled vehicle can circle around you with ease and wipe out all your crew with its fast firing 20mm autocannon. Watch out for your gun barrel, as the R3 can easily destroy it. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, as the 20mm will shred through the thin 38mm plate and detonate your ammo. However, a good thing is that you can rely on your .50 cal to destroy the R3.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good 75 mm gun, with adequate damage and a decent rate of fire
* Frontal glacis offers good armour at its rank and tend to make rounds ricochet
* Very fast turret traverse speed
* Thick gun mantlet, and overall very good sloped turret armour
* Very strong when in a hull down position
* Excellent gun depression -12 degrees
* Very mobile once acceleration kicks in
* Pintle-mounted HMG provides an anti-aircraft defence and can shoot down lightly armoured targets
* Fitted with a vertical stabilizer, allowing more accurate fire on the move compared to other tanks, as well as better usage of shoot-n-scoot tactics

'''Cons:'''

* Armour is not as strong against up-gunned vehicles like the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV F2]] and the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 mod.1942]]
* The 38.1 mm side armour is vulnerable to even Rank I anti-tank fire and anti-aircraft guns
* Narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities
* Prone to damage by artillery barrages, tracks can be hit and the fuel supply can be ignited
* Ammunition storage is vulnerable to cooking off
* May tip over when travelling across steep inclines
* A shot through hull vision blocks can set off turret's ammo supply and hull sponson ammo and a lucky shot might even knock the M4A1 out
* Has a high profile especially when compared to other medium tanks
* The cast hull creates frontal weakspots with very little effective thickness, eg. the triangles between upper front plate and the side, and the curved hull hatches

== History ==

===Development===
The Battle of France in 1940 proved to America that their current tank arsenal would not be able to withstand a German assault. The only tanks in their inventory at that time was the [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]] and the [[M2|M2 Medium Tank]], both are inadequate against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. The US Army, in response, ordered for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret able to mount the gun was not. So while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap design, the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank in a sponson mount. This interim design put the 75 mm on a lower and limited traverse mount that restricted its firing angle, but it did give the Allies a tank with the gun, so it was issued by the thousands until a better design could be made.

During the M3's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were being drawn up and submitted by the Ordnance Department. Specifications on the tank design were strict, with restrictions made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on ships. These specifications would help the army by making the tank be very flexible on strategic, logistical, and tactical grounds. On April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''Medium Tank M4''' in American service. The tank would become the most used Allied tank during World War II as it was lent out by the thousands in the Lend-Lease program to the Allied countries. The British called the M4 the "Sherman", which coined into the tank's name '''M4 Sherman''' that it would be known as in history. The production for the Shermans began on October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]].

===Design===
Many variants of the Shermans were produced, but they all followed a similar layout. The driver and bow gunner sat in the front driving compartment, the fighting compartment in the middle housed the turret its three crew member, and in the back was the engine compartment. The Sherman used many features present in previous American tank designs, the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and radial engine from the M2 light tanks, and the sloping armour of the M2 Medium. This became a contributing factor on the Sherman's reliability on the field, as most of the design flaws were ironed out with the previous tank designs. The tank-mounted the [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm M3 gun]], giving the tank very good AP and HE capabilities. The Sherman's turret traverse speed was very fast, able to traverse a full 360 degrees in only 15 seconds, which is considerably faster than the traverse speed on most German tanks. Another unique feature on the Sherman was the installation of a [[Gun stabilizer|gyroscopic stabilizer]] on the gun and sight, making the Sherman one of the first produced tanks to incorporate those features. While the stabilization was only done for the vertical plane, it kept the gun stable enough to be able to shoot on the move effectively, with a study showing a 70 % hit probability on an enemy 300 to 1,200 yards away when moving at a speed of 15 mph. However, this feature was controversial among the crew and experiences with it vary.

The '''M4A1 Sherman''' model ran on a gasoline Continental R975C-1 radial engine and was one of the first models of the Sherman developed. The model in-game features the early M38 telescopic sight in the M4 periscope with no zoom, which was later replaced with an M55 telescopic sight in the gun mantlet by recommendation from the British.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT1">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "Baptism Of Fire"</ref> The tank's hull was fully cast, giving the tank a distinctive rounded slope front and sides. Though the rounded shape gave the frontal armour uneven angling, it provided adequate protection up to 100 mm in thickness in certain areas. Casting the hull took fewer man hours to perform, but suffered from the limited capability of most American factories and was hard to repair on the field. Thus, welding was prioritized as the primary manufacturing method in the other Sherman variants.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT3">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The School of Tank Technology"</ref> Nevertheless, up to 6,281 M4A1s were produced from February 1942 to December 1943, out of the 49,234 Sherman units produced in the war.

===Combat usage===
====European theater====
The Shermans first saw combat in the North African Campaign in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 in the hands of the British. It was much quicker to reinforce the British armoured divisions with the more than 300 M4 Shermans sent to North Africa than it was to create new American ones. It proved much better than the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]], able to eliminate them at distances more than 2,000 yards away. The Americans received their first Shermans in the next month in Operation Torch. However better the Shermans were to the German tanks at the time, the Allied armoured units still suffered casualties against the German tanks and anti-tank guns, most notably in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. In Italy, the Shermans proved much more mobile than the German Panzers, able to travel cross-country on the hilly terrain with ease. However, it was at this stage that the Sherman's shortcoming began to take face in the advent of the newer German tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger Is]] and [[Panther D|Panthers]]. These two tanks featured armour that proved impenetrable when fired at the front, and with guns that could take out the Shermans from farther than the Sherman's effective combat range. The Shermans have to hit the side of these tanks for penetration and at ranges that were considered suicidal. Although programs were initiated to [[M4A1 (76) W|up-gun the Sherman with a 76 mm gun]], American leaders determine that the Panther and Tigers would not be produced in large quantities and were not as great as a threat as these two vehicles could still be destroyed by the 75 mm gun and standard anti-tank equipment.

During the Invasion of France, it was clear that the Sherman's current build with a 75 mm gun was no longer going to cut it against the German armoured forces. While the Sherman was adequate against what little Panzer III and IVs the Germans have left and against infantry and fortifications with the 75 mm gun, the Panthers and Tigers were in much large quantity than expected, and proved better in armour and firepower to the Shermans. Though in the bocage country of France, the Allies lost more tanks to hidden anti-tank guns and infantry weapons than to tanks. Despite these losses, the mass production of M4 Sherman back in the United States ensured that enough tanks were available for the Allied Forces as they spearhead through France, plus the lack of any other capable tanks meant they had to use the Shermans for the time being. The large quantities of Shermans produced during the war gave the Allied armoured units a major advantage of being fully equipped as the German panzer divisions were rarely in full strength, with some US infantry divisions having more tracked vehicles than some of the panzer divisions. Due to the high attrition rates, tank crews sometimes add [[Add-on Armor|improvised armour]] onto their Shermans in the form of sandbags and logs in hopes of increased survival, but these were determined to be ineffective from evaluations. A more effective method was to have metal armour welded on in improvisation, and an official project was made for such "assault tanks" that ended with the [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbos"]] with 250 made for the Battle of Normandy. During the Battle of Normandy, the first 76 mm Shermans on the M4A1 were put into combat in Operation Cobra in limited numbers. The Allies continued to primarily use the 75 mm Shermans until the Battle of the Bulge in Winter 1944, when the commanders request only 76 mm Shermans to be brought into Europe as the battle showed the intense armour disparity with the German's large numbers of [[Panther G|Panthers]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II's]]. While new units arriving in Europe were armed exclusively with 76 mm armed-Shermans, the veteran units kept the 75 mm Shermans, to which it continued to do well against softer targets with little threat from German armour due to their extreme declining numbers.

====Pacific theater====
The M4 Sherman's importance in the Pacific theatre was less than that of the European theatre due to the different tactical doctrine established from the amphibious nature of combat. Only about 20 tank battalions fielded by the US Army were sent to support the Pacific theatre of operations, compared to the total 16 armoured divisions and 70 tank battalions they have in service. The low priority in tanks was due to the following reasons. Firstly, the jungle terrain on most of the islands fought for against the Japanese were unsuitable for the deployment of large-scale armoured units, relegating armour support to light tanks such as the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Stuarts]]. Secondly, the Japanese forces' armoured units were rather inferior to the American tank forces by 1943. While the Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tank was comparable to the M2A4 light tank, the Shermans out gun these tanks by a large margin. Such a large margin that the tank crew prefer to use high-explosive shots against the Japanese tank than regular armour-piercing as the AP rounds would penetrate straight through without causing much damage in the interior of the tank. The Japanese developed the Type 3 Chi-Nu and the Type 4 Chi-To to fight back the Shermans, but these two never saw combat as they were kept at the Japanese Homeland for the defence against the Allied invasion.

The Shermans, when deployed, were superior to most of the Japanese anti-tank equipment and often were essential to some of the Marine's advances on some of the island assaults. In 1945, the equipping of flamethrower Shermans known as ''M4A3R3'', nicknamed "Zippos", were a significant boost to the infantry's firepower in having a very long range of fire compared to the standard infantry-modelled flamethrowers with the benefit of being in an armoured vehicle. The Zippos are able to flush out enemy combatants from within heavily fortified bunkers and caves that would be dangerous for even flamethrower infantry to take out. The Japanese solution against the Shermans, other than with their 47 mm anti-tank guns, were often suicidal tactics ranging from placing satchel charges right onto the tank, using pole-mounted anti-tank mines to reach and destroy the tank or even simply throwing oneself underneath a tank with mine or other explosive and triggering it manually.

====Lend-Lease====
The Sherman tank was given out in large numbers to American Allies during World War II under the Lend-Lease policy. While America retained about 20,361 Shermans in the Army and Marine Corps, 17,184 went to Britain (about 34% of Shermans produced and 78% of Shermans given out) and the Soviet Union obtained 4,102 Shermans.<ref name="ZalogaArmorT2">Zaloga Steven. ''Armored Thunderbolt: The U.S. Army Sherman in World War II'' Stackpole Books, 2008, "The British Sherman"</ref> China obtained 812 Shermans, Brazil with 53, and New Zealand and Australia for 153 Shermans total. Other countries using the Shermans were Poland, Free France, and Czechoslovakia. The British deployed the Sherman among their armoured squadrons in such a large number to become the standard tank of their armoured forces. The increased threat of German tanks in the European theatre also provoked the British to up-gun the M4 Sherman with a more capable gun, resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]].

====Post-War====
After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gun the tank with the much powerful post-war French [[SA50 (75 mm)|75 mm]] and [[CN-105-F1 (105 mm)|105 mm]] gun as the [[M4A4 (SA50)|M-50]] and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

===In-game description===
The M4А1 was an M4 medium tank with a cast hull, cast turret, and the 350 hp Continental R-975, a gas-powered radial engine. The M4A1 went into full-fledged production in February 1942, with 6,281 rolling off the lines between then and January 1944. The hull's front plate initially had viewing slits cut out, though later it was made from one piece. The front section of the gear compartment was made out of three pieces, subsequently becoming a single section. The M34 cannon mantlet was replaced with the M34A1 by 1943.

M4A1 tanks were shipped to Great Britain as part of Lend-Lease. The Sherman's baptism by fire came in North Africa, where the British thought the new American tanks played a fairly significant role in the victory at El Alamein. M4A1s also served in Italy.

The tank enjoyed a strong reputation in battle, quickly replacing the M3 as the Americans' main medium tank. The M4 turned out to be best for desert combat, a conclusion confirmed by post-war experience as well. The flat, wide open spaces in Africa were a perfect natural environment allowing it to exploit its reliability, high speed, comfortable interior, excellent field of view, and radio communications. The tank's range suffered, but the Allies handled that issue by streamlining their supply lines. In addition, tankers often carried along with extra fuel in canisters. A high silhouette made the M4 easy to target, and its armament was made obsolete in 1943 with the appearance of the German Pz.V and Pz.VI tanks. The M4's weaknesses were an engine, ammunition, and fuel tanks prone to fire and explosions due to its relatively light armour.



== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=us_m4a1_1942_sherman Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|WER1vaO-y8w|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''|kQqLfmL33JI|'''{{PAGENAME}} Sherman Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|48O5JUtPqtU|'''Tank Chats #39 Sherman M4A1 "Michael"''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==


;Other M4A1 vehicles in the game

* [[M4A1 (76) W]] - American version with a [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]
* [[Sherman II]] - A version in the British tech tree
* [[M4A1 (France)]] - A version in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (FL10)]] - A premium version with an [[AMX-13]] turret placed on it; located in the French tech tree
* [[M4A1 (75) W (China)]] - A version with a T23 turret, but with a 75 mm gun, in the Chinese tech tree

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/711|[Devblog] Developers about M4A1]]
* [[wikipedia:M4_Sherman|[Wikipedia] M4 Sherman]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M4_Sherman <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Medium Tank M4 Sherman]
* [https://flyingheritage.org/Explore/The-Collection/United-States/M4A1-Sherman-Medium-Tank.aspx <nowiki>[Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum]</nowiki> M4A1 Sherman Medium Tank]

=== References ===

;Bibliography
<references />

{{USA medium tanks}}

M4A3 (105)

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U119849067: /* Ammunition */

M4A3 (105)

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U119849067: /* Main armament */

M4A3 (105)

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U119849067: /* Main armament */

M4A3 (105)

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U119849067: /* Pros and cons */