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Bf 109 E-4

2024-03-20T05:24:20Z

U49659211: fixed grammatical error

{{About
| about = German fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = Bf 109 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=bf-109e-4
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.53 "Firestorm"]]. The differences from its [[Bf 109 E-3|predecessor]] are little in quantity, though they have a drastic effect in-game. The E-4 is slightly heavier, but thanks to better surface polishing and a +150 hp WEP, it is faster than the E-3. The greatest advantage though is the installation of MG FF/M cannons with minengeschoße.

After having played both the [[Bf 109 E-1|''E-1'']] and [[Bf 109 E-3|''E-3'']], players will rejoice upon unlocking the ''E-4''. While essentially the same plane, the E-4 overcomes the inadequate MG FF with MG FF/M, featuring the fantastic minengeschoße. With two wing-mounted MG FF/Ms with 60 rounds each, the plane has an even more deadly punch, attributed solely to the new thin-walled 20 mm HE shells. Fighting in the E-4 is essentially the same as with all E-frame 109s.

Remaining a great energy fighter against its historical opposition, the E-4 is somewhat troubled by the fact that it often faces mid-to-later-war planes such as the [[P-47D-25|P-47D]]. To engage these, make sure you have a clear energy advantage; if attacked, fly defensively and attempt to bleed the enemy's speed while pulling them down. The Bf 109 E-4 is often regarded as a poor turner, a reputation coming from the fact that its main rival, the Spitfire, simply did it better. However, with combat flaps, the E-4 is a respectable turner able to out-turn most planes that outperform it in other ways. However, keep in mind that one of the changes from E-3 to E-4 increased the frame's weight. Flat turning should only be reserved for extreme situations.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}

The DB 601N provides its maximum performance around 2,000 m to 5,000 m (6,500 ft to 16,500 ft respectively) and comes with WEP, providing +150 hp upon activation. The boost will last about one minute from a cooled engine.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 5,000 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 558 || 544 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.0 || 22.7 || 14.0 || 14.1 || rowspan="2" | 390
|-
! Upgraded
| 604 || 580 || 20.1 || 21.0 || 22.4 || 17.8
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 487 || 471 || 280 || ~12 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 450 || < 390 || < 400 || > 318
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 3,550 m || 1,050 hp || 1,172 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* 10 mm Steel plate behind seat
* 10 mm Steel plate headrest
* No armour glazing
* Critical components located in front of aircraft (fuel, pilot, engine, controls)

While the armour is quite limited on the Bf 109 E-4 as in other fighter aircraft, the Bf 109 E-4 compensates with its other flight performances.

When engaging the Bf 109 E-4, doing so in a group is your best bet. While it can easily pick off one or two planes, it doesn't have very much cannon ammo and will be easily overwhelmed when engaged by multiple foes. In a one-on-one engagement, try to trick the pilot into bleeding their energy. While the Bf 109 E-4 will outrun most planes at its rank, it can also be outgunned by them. Once it uses all its cannon ammo, it's only left with two machine guns, which most planes take little to no damage from at a glance.

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|MG FF/M (20 mm)|MG 17 (7.92 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 2 x 20 mm MG FF/M cannons, wing-mounted (60 rpg = 120 total)
* 2 x 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, nose-mounted (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)

The two cannons are mounted with one in each wing whereas the two machine guns are mounted in the upper fuselage just in front of the cockpit.

The main armament is identical to that of the [[Bf 109 E-3]]. However, there is one critical difference. The MG FF/M can fire minengeschoße shells. Minengeschoße's shell is very thin, allowing more incendiary material to be used; however, these very same characteristics prevent them from being fired from older MG FF versions (like on the predecessor E-3). Thus, the MG FF/Ms are far more powerful than the MG FFs.

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|SC50JA (50 kg)|SC250JA (250 kg)|Flam C 250 incendiary}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 4 x 50 kg SC50JA bombs (200 kg total)
* 1 x 250 kg SC250JA bomb (250 kg total)
* 1 x Flam C 250 incendiary bomb

The E-4 can load either 4 x 50 kg or 1 x 250 kg bombs. Unless you like to fly at a severe disadvantage, do not use the bombs unless you have to in order to win a match, for example after refuelling/restocking at the base. The bomb load is nowhere near large enough to make a fighter bombing trip worth it.

== Usage in battles ==

[[File:Cockpit_Bf109e3.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Click to enlarge]]

Just like the [[Bf 109 E-3]], the E-4 is a well versatile fighter, being able to both do hit and run strikes and dogfight enemy planes, even though its strong point is the hit and run tactic having great energy advantage over most enemies it will face. Having a great climb ability and decent acceleration makes it an enemy to be aware of. There are other German planes that can perform the hit and run tactic far better than the 109, for example the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]], the [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109]] on the other hand is the more versatile fighter. Having a excellent climb ability will give the E-4 the advantage it needs to be able to strike on enemy fighters from above, having a high speed gain in a dive gives the E-4 the ability to easily catch up to enemies. But one con with its speed is that when it gains too much speed it can lock up and be difficult to manoeuvre and pull up. Being able to catch up with enemies is not the only thing the E-4 is good at. It has an average turn rate but in proper hands the E-4 can be a fearsome dogfighter competing with most fighters. Some advantages it has over the [[Spitfire (Family)|Spitfire]] and [[Hurricane (Family)|Hurricane]] is the engine, being able to do manoeuvring without choking the engine with lack of fuel from doing manoeuvres.

The 109 E-4's strong points is being equipped with 2 x [[MG FF/M (20 mm)|MG FF/M]] compared to the [[Bf 109 E-3|E-3]] that uses the [[MG FF (20 mm)|MG FF]]. The MG FF/M lets the E-4 use minengeschoß in its belts having a devastating mine shell is always a benefit to have in its arsenal. Though having the devastating minengeschoß shells its lack of ammunition in the MG FF/M with only 60 rounds each makes it limited with how many shells and the cannons should be used with care when they got a clear shot on the hostile plane. Not only being armed with cannons the E-4 also comes equipped with 2 x [[MG 17 (7.92 mm)|MG 17]] that holds 1,000 rounds each and can be a leading guide for the 20 mm cannons. Though should not take the small calibre MG 17 for granted. They can also tear enemies at the BR with ease, having a fast rate of fire means it can put a lot of bullets into the enemy plane in short amount of time and that is a excellent thing since greater chance to hit vital areas of the target. Preference is to use the machine guns and cannons together for a devastating effect on the target but they can be used separately for a good effect still.

Enemies to be wary of are mostly turn fighters like the Spitfire and [[I-16 (Family)|I-16]] since they can out turn the E-4 with ease. Also take note of hit and run planes like [[P-38E]] and [[La-5 (Family)|La-5]] since though they might not have the greatest climb ability, they can still be formidable opponents when it comes to hit and run attacks.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Not controllable || Controllable Auto control available || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good flight performance overall with acceleration, rate of climb, roll rate, and turn rate
* Plenty of machine gun ammo
* Fairly good MG FF/M cannons in steady hands, ideal for Boom & Zoom
* Can perform negative G manoeuvres
* Better cockpit visibility than [[Bf 109 F-4|Bf 109 Fs]]

'''Cons:'''

* Less than average instantaneous turn rate
* Control stiffening above 400 km/h IAS
* Low cannon ammo count
* Weak, low-velocity cannons compared to Hispano, [[MG 151/20 (20 mm)|MG 151/20]], etc
* Relatively poor durability
* Harsh matchmaking
* Thicker cockpit framing than the E-3 with armoured glass frame

== History ==

The Bf 109 E-4 was the replacement of the older E-3 version that was used in Battle of Britain, upgraded with new 20 mm MG FF/Ms and better protection for the pilot. Upgraded with the 20 mm MG FF/M made the E-4 unlike the E-3 being able to use the Minengeschoß shells. Just like the E-3, the E-4 had an extensive use in the Battle of Britain facing formidable opponents like the Spitfire and Hurricane. Entering production in 1940 being based on its predecessor the E-3 most of them got converted later into the E-4.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=bf-109e-4 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

* North American [[P-51 (Family)|P-51]] Mustang
* [[IAR-81C]]
* Kawasaki [[Ki-61 (Family)|Ki-61]]

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/272433-messerschmitt-bf-109-e-4/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
*[[Wikipedia:Messerschmitt_Messerschmitt_Bf_109_variants#E-4 English| [Wikipedia<nowiki>]</nowiki> Messerschmitt Bf 109 variants – Bf 109 E-4]]
*[https://me109.info/ Falcon's Messerschmitt Bf 109 Hangar]
*[http://kurfurst.org/#Emil Performance Resource site for the Bf 109 - Material related to Messerschmitt Bf 109E]

{{AirManufacturer BFW}}
{{Germany fighters}}

Sherman II

2022-04-12T22:35:11Z

U49659211: /* Pros and cons */ added a pro

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

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.65 "Way of the Samurai"]]. The Sherman II is the designation of the American [[M4A1|M4A1 Sherman]] and is fitted with a [[M3 (75 mm)|75 mm gun]] with access to APCR ammunition.

The Sherman II is basically a M4A1 Sherman, to which users of it in the American ground forces tree will be very familiar with. Almost everything with it is identical with the American version, however the Sherman II has access to the T45 APCR ammunition. This tank play style is one maximizing the -12° gun depression in hull-down positions and its very good automotive performances to travel with blistering speed on the battlefield to attack the enemy from a place they wouldn't expect.

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Lower side hull)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38.1-50.8 mm (48°-72°) ''Front glacis'' 50.8 mm (11-58°) ''Transmission area'' || 38.1 mm (1-71°) ''Top'' 38.1 ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm (0-69°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm (13-51°) || 19.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 76.2 mm (2-66°) ''Turret front'' 50.8 mm (3-49°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (0-65°) || 50.8 + 4 mm (0-60°) || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Sand skirts on the suspension sides are 4 mm thick.
* Front armour slope not even, lower part is weaker than top.
* 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.

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


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

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

== 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}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
When discussing the {{PAGENAME}}'s 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}} - 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.
* T45 shot- {{Annotation|APCR|Armour-piercing composite rigid}} - Subcalibre round with high penetration but only on flat surfaces, poor post-penetration damage.
* 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
|-
| T45 shot || APCR || 139 || 135 || 121 || 105 || 91 || 79
|-
|}
{| 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°
|-
| T45 shot || APCR || 868 || 3.81 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}
{| 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_M4A1.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the M4A1 (identical).]]

{| 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.

==== Optics ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
|-
! Which ones
! Default magnification
! Maximum magnification
|-
! Main Gun optics
| x1.85 || x3.5
|-
! Comparable optics
| colspan="2" | [[M4A2]]
|-
|}

=== 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) || 576 || -10°/+22° || ±60°
|-
|}
{| 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
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The best use of the Sherman II is in defence or in an exploitation movement.

In the defence: hull-down position. Find a terrain like a hill where the Sherman can inch forward, exposing only the turret, yet be able to aim down most of the horizon with the 75 mm gun. This allows the Sherman to use the most of the turret and gun mantlet armour as well as minimizing the amount of the body able to be hit by incoming enemy fire while dishing out quite a considerable amount of fire towards the enemy with a fast-firing 75 mm gun. If enemy fire at the hull-down position intensifies or wound the crew members, simply reversing can put the Sherman under adequate cover and reposition for another attempt to attack the enemy.

In exploitation, attack enemy utilizing the Sherman's adequate speed and handling. Manoeuvre into enemy territory scanning for targets. A benefit of the fast reloads and the traverse rate of the Sherman is that it allows for quick reaction to enemies spotted at various directions. Remember, the general rule of tank combat, the first person to shoot generally wins the battle. As such, it is imperative for the success of this tactic to attack an enemy not aware of the Sherman's presence and movement. As such, an unaware enemy will probably be exposing their weak points such as the side armour, allowing for a well-placed 75 mm shot to damage the interior. Try not to be caught up in one position as being stuck in one place will cause the enemy to eventually swarm the Sherman and destroy it.

While the Sherman isn't a purpose-built brawler, it can perform decently in that role. The frontal armour cannot be relied on, but a combination of proper positioning and careful angling can deflect some less-potent guns. As is the case with its American cousins, the Sherman II is equipped with a gyroscopic stabilizer effective at speeds up to 25 km/h (15.5 mph). This ability to shoot accurately on the move is a significant advantage in close quarters combat and meeting engagements, as the few seconds an enemy takes to stop and aim is ample time for the Sherman II to turn them into a burning wreck.

'''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 75 mm 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 is a guaranteed kill 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 tough tank that the M4 Sherman will experience difficulty against is this German upgunned KV-1. While the preceding KV-1's L-11 cannon is not as powerful, the 75 mm KwK40 is considerably much more powerful against the Sherman's frontal armour, and the Sherman can't easily penetrate the KV-1's thick armour particularly when it has extra armour plates attached. In the event that this hefty tank is spotted and it's angling against you, focus on the gun mantlet as it is only 50 mm thick. You can knock out its turret crew and/or armament without any problem. Or on the other hand take shots at the tall commander's cupola, there's some opportunity to take out the gunner from there. Obviously, the most ideal way is to fire shots at its sides from as close as you can get, where its armour is unsloped. Moreover, shots to the sides will undoubtedly hit its fuel tanks or ammo racks, causing a fire or ammo explosion. Remember to utilise your superior (although not excellent) mobility plus your vertical stabiliser when dealing against such heavy tanks.

[[Churchill (Family)|Churchill III]] heavy tanks:

The Churchills, with their complex hulls and sturdy turrets, can be quite hard to kill 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 kill 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 autocannon. In a close encounter, never expose your side to it, and do not even angle your hull. Face your hull directly to the R3, because on each side of the cast hull, above the inducer wheel there is a triangular area that blends and connects the upper front plate to the side. By angling the hull, this triangle becomes unangled to the R3, making it easily penetrated, and the driver / gunner will usually get knocked out first. It is harder for the R3 to penetrate your unangled hull thus giving you more time to react and destroy it.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Excellent gun depression -12° plus the angled frontal turret allows it to utilise hills very well
* Great penetration and post-penetration damage when using M61 shells; can frontally penetrate and one-shot most opponents like the [[Pz.IV F2]], [[M4]], [[Chi-Nu]]
* Has access to APCR ammunition, effective against thick but flat armour like that of the [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]]
* Great turret traverse speed allows it to deal with multiple threats easily
* Adequate top speed allows it to get to positions in time, or to do tactical manoeuvres like flanking
* Pintle-mounted HMG provides an anti-aircraft defence or anti-tank duty against tanks like [[Marder III]]
* 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
* APHE shells on a british tank, a rarity.

'''Cons:'''

* Frontal armour is still inadequate, will get frontally penetrated and one-shot by tanks like [[Pz.IV F2]] / G, [[StuG III F]] / G, [[M10 (Family)|M10]]
* Large profile and weak side armour; flankers like the Sd.kfz.234/2 or GAZ trucks can easily see and penetrate it
* When opponents are angling, both AP and APCR struggle to penetrate heavy targets like [[Pz.Kpfw. Churchill (Germany)|Pz.Kpfw. Churchill]] and [[KV I C 756 (r) (Germany)|KV I C 756 (r)]]
* Narrow tracks offer poor ground flotation, thus poor off-road capabilities. Can only reach its top speed on paved or hard surfaces
* Prone to damage by artillery barrages, tracks can be hit and the fuel supply can be ignited
* Ammunition storage is vulnerable to detonation
* May tip over when travelling across steep inclines
* 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 (Disambiguation)|Panzer IIIs]] and the [[Pz.IV (Family)|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]] 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 in order to maximize logistical support. Restrictions were made on the tank's height, width, and weight in order to make it able to be transported over bridges, roads, railroads, and on naval 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 eventually 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 (Family)|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 [[M2A4|M2 Light Tanks]], and the sloping armour of the [[M2|M2 Medium Tanks]]. 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 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 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|M4A1 Sherman]] model (known in British nomenclature as the Sherman II) 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 a 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. Cast armour was used because casting took less 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.

===British nomenclature===
The British had a different naming convention with their equipment than the Americans. It is this naming system that actually gave the M4 Medium tank their namesake "Sherman". As the American differentiate the M4 models with letter and numbers such as [[M4|M4]], [[M4A1|M4A1]], [[M4A2|M4A2]], and [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3]]. The British use roman numerals past the name "Sherman". Thus, the nomenclature translate to:

* [[Firefly «Scorpion»|Sherman I]] - M4
* [[Sherman II]] - M4A1
* Sherman III - M4A2
* Sherman IV - M4A3
* [[Sherman Firefly|Sherman V]] - M4A4
* Sherman VII - M4A6

Past these designation, there would be a letter to signify differences in model design. A designation ending with "A" indicates the usage of the [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm gun]]. A designation ending with "B" indicates the usage of the [[M4 (105 mm)|105 mm howitzer]]. A designation ending with "Y" would indicate the usage of the [[M4A3 (76) W|Horizontal Volute Suspension System (HVSS)]]. Finally, a designation ending with "C" indicates the usage of the [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pdr gun]], essentially translating to the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]]. There was a word addition "Hybrid" exclusive to the Sherman I variant, meaning the M4 Hybrid design which used a cast front armour, but a welded rear design.<ref name="JohnChrisSherman">Christopher John. Sherman M4 Medium Tank Amberley Publishing, 2014</ref>

== Media ==


;Skins

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

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ChaaW8OgkXQ|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Other M4A1 vehicles in the game

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

== External links ==


=== References ===
<references />

{{Britain medium tanks}}

Grant I (USA)

2022-02-04T18:48:21Z

U49659211: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = gift American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
|other
|usage-1 = other versions
|link-1 = M3 Medium (Family)
|usage-2 = other uses
|link-2 = M3 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_mk1_grant
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} American medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial American ground tree in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]] as a bundle vehicle, but was later removed from the store. It was reintroduced for [[wt:en/news/5852-special-news-war-thunder-s-birthday-discounts-and-gifts-en|War Thunder's 6th Anniversary]] as a premium purchasable for Golden Eagles {{ge}} and was made available in the [[Warbonds]] shop during Season IV of the [[Battle Pass]].

It is a modified version of the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] in the American medium tree line with a redesigned turret made for the British Army.
The Grant is most well recognized for its tall profile and two cannons. The suspension resembles that of the [[M4|M4 Sherman]], the only notable difference being the return rollers' positions. The hull front is also stepped into two plates, where the upper is closer to vertical. The large sponson on the right side carries the main 75 mm gun; note that with 2 crew, it is the operational gun. The 37 mm gun is in a turret, mounted with a leftward offset. Its main notable difference from the M3 Lee is a redesigned turret.

Due to the presence of two cannons, this tank is an excellent multi-role vehicle. The Grant can be played it as a brawler combining the agile 37 mm gun with the high damage of the 75 mm gun, but don't get too close, in fact, the turreted gun has a bad depression and, combined with the high profile, tends to make close tanks difficult to hit. Note that the different guns can be assigned different keys to be separately used, so it is possible to select the 75 mm as a primary weapon, allowing the optics to accommodate the 75 mm shells (and not from the point of view of the 37mm gun) and use the bullet drop indicator in [[:Category:Game_modes|arcade battles]].

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

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 38.1 mm (54°) ''Front Glacis'' 50.8 mm (15-55°) ''Transmission area'' 50.8 mm (30°) ''Driver port'' 38.1 mm (0-57°) ''Hull gun mount'' || 38.1 mm (0-22°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm ''Bottom'' || 38.1 mm (1-14°) ''Top'' 38.1 mm (15-53°) ''Bottom'' || 12.7 mm
|-
| Turret || 76.2 mm (1-57°) ''Turret front'' 38.1 mm (1-69°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 50.8 mm (7-45°) || 50.8 mm (1-35°) || 38.1 mm
|-
| Cupola || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 50.8 mm || 38.1 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Hull doors and vision ports are 38.1 mm thick.
* Turret ring is 50.8 mm thick.

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


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

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

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|M5 (37 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M5 (37 mm)|37 mm M5]] || 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" | 128 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 17.1 || 23.7 || 28.8 || 31.8 || 33.9 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.33 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
|-
! ''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
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 79 || 76 || 65 || 54 || 45 || 37
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APCBC || 87 || 84 || 73 || 60 || 50 || 41
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M74B1 || AP || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M51B1/B2 || APCBC || 883 || 0.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

{| 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
! 9th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''128''' || 125 ''(+3)'' || 121 ''(+7)'' || 117 ''(+11)'' || 97 ''(+31)'' || 74 ''(+54)'' || 70 ''(+58)'' || 57 ''(+71)'' || 27 ''(+101)'' || 1 ''(+127)'' || Yes
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x200px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|M2 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2 (75 mm)|75 mm M2]] || 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" | 65 || rowspan="2" | -9°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±15° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 16 km/h}} || 11 || 16 || 19 || 21 || 23 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.1 || 8.4 || 10 || 11 || 12
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 84 || 82 || 73 || 62 || 53 || 46
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 97 || 94 || 84 || 73 || 63 || 55
|-
|}
{| 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%
|-
| M48 shell || HE || 448 || 6.3 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 666 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| M72 shot || AP || 588 || 6.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| M61 shot || APCBC || 588 || 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|x200px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''65''' || 36 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+64)'' || Yes
|-
|}

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


{| 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 || 4,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The multiple cannons allow for different combinations of attack. The 75 mm gun possesses armour penetration on about the level of the 37mm gun; however, the damage upon penetration is extremely high with the M61 APCBC shell due to the HE filler. On the other hand, the 37mm gun allows for close quarters and longer-range fighting, where its high-velocity and effective shell make for good long range targeting while it is also the only cannon on the Grant that has a full 360-degree traverse.

Different guns mean different styles of play. The Grant can be played as a tank destroyer, using its sponson gun to take shots at medium range and its 37mm to cover the flanks and make longer range snipe shots. The Grant can also be used as an assault tank, quickly advancing on points while switching between the powerful 75mm gun and the faster-firing 37mm. In all game modes, the two gun profiles should be assigned to different keys, this will allow players to aim using the sights of the three guns separately, allowing the usage of the individual optics to actually hit things at range.

the Grant I has the possibility of facing long-barrelled [[Pz.III J1|Pz.Kpfw. III]], and [[Pz.IV F2|Pz.Kpfw. IV]], as well as [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]s. The [[ZiS-30]] and [[Na-To]] are also very deadly. The 75 mm gun can reliable penetrate all of these tanks at short range (save the T-34), whereas the 37 mm will require some particular shot placement.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Ability to use two guns: a 37 mm and a 75 mm - which is very powerful at this rank
* Fine frontal armour
* Side mounted 75 mm gives the ability for some unique tactics
* Despite the tall profile, the "wedding cake" design of the turret has thick sloped armour, providing extra protection to make up for its height

'''Cons:'''

* Tall profile, big target
* Fixed 75 mm gun in the sponson makes it harder to use as a primary
* Slow traverse speeds make it easy for a light or a particularly speedy medium tank to sneak around the sides
* The 37mm gun does not have a stabilizer when compared to the regular M3 variant

== History ==


===Development===
After the development of the [[M2|M2 medium tank]], the Battle of France showed that such a tank was not going to be capable to go up against the German [[Pz.III F|Panzer IIIs]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IVs]]. With the Western Allies now embroiled in the North African campaign against the Germans and Italians, the Allies needed a good tank capable of going against the Panzer tanks, and they needed it quickly.

The [[M3 Lee]] tank started from the basis of the M2 Medium Tank, using the chassis and the VVSS suspension system. It was to mount the 75 mm cannon, however it was discovered that the United States does not have a turret design that could mount the 75 mm gun. So as development on the turret proceeded, the 75 mm on the M3 would be sponson-mounted. This design was tested on the M2 medium tank as the T5E2, which was approved for the M3 design. The M3 featured a medium tank with two guns, the 75 mm on the hull sponson mount, and a 37 mm with a coaxial machine gun on a turret. The turret cupola also had its own machine gun and there were also two fixed bow machine guns. The use of two gun mounts on a tank was similar to the German [[Nb.Fz.|Neubaufahrzeug]] and Soviet [[T-35]] tanks. The M3's 75 mm gun however presented a huge advantage over contemporary tank armaments, as the 75 mm could fire high-explosive rounds for against infantry and anti-tank guns, yet could also fire a shell with a high enough velocity for anti-tank purposes.

The M3's faults were the high profile and the sponson mount for its main armament. The M3 was 10 ft. 3 in. tall, a feet taller than the M2 medium tank. The 75 mm on a sponson mount meant that the main armament of the tank had a limited traverse compared to a rotatable turret and forced the tank to reveal much of its body in order to aim the gun at the enemy. The M3 was also constructed out of rivets (which increased spalling) and had a smooth track design which reduced ground traction. Despite these disadvantages, the British happily accepted them as they were critically low on tanks. German Colonel Hans von Luck said he even considered them superior to the [[Pz.IV E|Panzer IVs]].

The M3 first saw service with the British in the campaign for North Africa beginning in May, 1942. Those that had been made with a British-designed turret were identified as "Grant", whereas an additional quantity that were Lend-Leased to the British later on with the standard U.S turret were named "Lee." The British cast turret on the Grant was considered superior in terms of frontal protection and replaced the American smoke dischargers with a British smoke mortar, but did not have the cupola or cupola MG of the Lee. The Grant also moved the radio into the turret, removing the need for a separate radio operator position in the hull (the Americans would later do this with their M3s as well). Their baptism of fire was the Gazala battles, where 167 Grants were present with 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions. Regiments with Grants were initially organized on a 2:1 Grants-to-Stuarts, or a 2:1 Crusaders-to-Grants basis, but by 2nd Alamein in October, 1942, Shermans had also been added into that mix. Still, over 170 Grants or Lees were in the line for that battle. There were 3 tanks in a Grant/Lee troop. By May, 1943, all British Grants and Lees were replaced with newer tanks, mostly the Sherman.

Production on the Lee had begun in August 1941. A majority of these were completed at Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The British would receive more than their original order of 1,250 tanks. Of the total 6,258 M3s built by the US between start up to the end of production in December 1942, 2,855 units (over 1,600 Grants, and over 1,200 Lees) went to the British and 1,386 Lees went to the Soviet Union, were they served until 1943 before being replaced. A mix of Grants ahd Lees were also used by the Australians and Indians in the India-Burma theater, beginning in December, 1943, serving there until the end of the war with Japan. The M3 risked causing confusion in British service as the same "M3" designation was given to the [[M3 Stuart|M3 Light Tank]]. This set off their tradition of naming American-made tanks after generals, where the M3 medium tank earned the name [[M3 Lee]] for the American-turret variant (Grant for the British variant) and the M3 light tank was called the Stuart. Americans did not use these names themselves, only starting to name their tanks after the war.

===Combat usage===
Combat experience with the M3 Lee was complicated but favourable. In Africa, the Lees and Grants in British and American service surprised the German forces when they could withstand the 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 gun and 75 mm KwK 37 L/24 howitzer armament on the Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs. The M3 Lee proved reliable and adequate in armour protection. The Soviet's experience with the M3 Lee was less favourable, as their [[T-34 (1941)|T-34 tanks]] were much better in combat performance. The Soviets euphemistically called it a "grave for six men" and the Lee tanks were relegated to the secondary fronts or repurposed as armoured personnel carriers. In the Pacific, the M3 Lees were lent to the Australians and Indians, which proved vastly superior to the Japanese tanks in service. The only American use of the M3 Lee at the Pacific Theater was during the Battle of Makin Island.

The M3 Lee served fine as a stop-gap solution for the American tank development. They performed very well on the combat field and proved very reliable. However, once a 75 mm turret was finally designed, the M3 Lee was redesigned to use it, and the resulting tank was the [[M4|M4 Sherman]], which will go on to replace the M3 tanks in the Allies as they are withdrawn from service. Even if it wasn't, the M3 was becoming obsolete due to newer German tanks being deployed, such as the [[Panther D|Panther]], [[Tiger_H1|Tiger I]], or improvement of old chassis like [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IV Ausf. G]] and [[StuG III F|StuG III Ausf. F]]. Its obsolescence was a consequence of its own rather unique development and anachronistic design, limiting this medium tank's service life to a mere two years in Allied hands. However, it lived on until the end of WW2 in some modifications such as tractor and recovery vehicle. The chassis and running gear were adapted by the Canadians to develop their [[M4A5|Ram medium tank]].

===An anecdote===

::"The 75 (mm gun) is firing. The 37 (mm gun) is firing, but it is traversed around the wrong way. The Browning (machine gun) is jammed. I am saying 'Driver advance' on the A set and the driver, who can't hear me, is reversing. And as I look over the top of the turret and see twelve enemy tanks fifty yards away, someone hands me a cheese sandwich." —''British Lieutenant Ken Giles, tank commander of a M3 Grant''<ref name="GrantAnecdote">Bell, Chris. "Fury: All You Need to Know about Life in a Tank." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2017. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/film-news/11167575/Fury-all-you-need-to-know-about-life-in-a-tank.html></ref>

=== In-game description ===
The bitter taste left in the mouth of British builders after battles in Greece and France forced them to take a hard look at the future of their armor. They did not have a single powerful artillery system of their own, though the US at the time had just begun producing their new M3 Lee and its sponson-mounted 75 mm cannon.

After evaluating the American-made M3, the British decided that it would primarily be used in North Africa. A major invasion was planned for 1941, and so the Americans were asked to develop a new and elongated cast turret with a bustle at the back for a British Wireless Set No. 19. Periscopes were added on each side closer to the back in addition to slots from which to fire personal weapons. The cupola was unneeded and removed, being replaced by a short addition with a folding hatch in front of an antenna output. In total, the turret became 30 mm shorter, reducing the tank's profile. The M3 modification for the British was designated the Grant Mk I.

The first contracts with Baldwin, Lima, and Pullman were signed at the end of 1940, with deliveries totaling 1,685 units beginning six months later.

The Grant Mk I saw action in North Africa from 1942 to 1943 with varying success. Crew members reported that the German Pz.II and Pz.III tanks shot their armor-piercing shells from a distance of 1,100 meters. The Mk I was not as maneuverable as its German counterparts, and its side armor could not sustain hits from 50 mm tank cannons. Further, 88 mm anti-tank guns easily pierced its armor, while the high silhouette made long-range targeting easier.

The British Grant Mk Is saw limited action in the 1943 invasion of Sicily.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_mk1_grant Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:M3Lee + Grant.jpg|The [[M3 Lee]] (right) and M3 Grant in the North Africa Theater.
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|P-RnfEaO0ns|'''The Shooting Range #215''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:31 discusses the M3 Grant.|5XbdErI74vQ|'''Tank Chats #30 M3 Grant''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


=== References ===
<references />

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