M3 Grant and M4 Sherman Family of Vehicles

[dy031101]

Also, you are forgetting one of the odder Sherman variants where the Israelis mounted an AMX-13 oscillating turret on an M4A3 hull. Would have been even better on an Easy 8 HVSS hull, but those were all in use as M51 Ishermans.

The AMX-13 turret is an expedient solution (that Egyptians took), but M50 (produced by Israeli) is probably a more capable modification for installing a high-velocity gun since the stowed rounds can be loaded into the main gun under turret armour unlike the AMX-13 turret (whose autoloader needs to be reloaded outside).

If the Arab nations acquired 105mm-gun-armed AMX-13 versions, things could still have been interesting though.

As for SPAA, someone could do a Sherman version of the Ram-based Skink:

I thought the prototype Skink was built on Sherman hulls......?

[dy031101]

Oh and another question: for the M51 Sherman, why was the French gun chosen as the basis instead of the L7 rifled gun?

Was it simply because only the French were willing to look into fitting a 105mm gun into a Sherman or did L7 really require more than shortened barrel, muzzle brake, and shells modded with shorter cartridges in order for the Sherman to be able to use it?

[Just call me Ray]

IIRC, pretty much the second one. The L7 was simply too much for the Sherman.

[rallymodeller]

As for SPAA, someone could do a Sherman version of the Ram-based Skink:

I thought the prototype Skink was built on Sherman hulls......?

Nosir. It was Ram-based. Only one was built and it was sent to England for trials but by the time it was ready for production the Luftwaffe was no longer a threat and the project was shelved.

[General Zod]

Here is a what if idea for the M7 Priest Jeff Fontaine and I have chatted about

Arm it with a 90mm,add the E8 suspension,and make it a diesel version Be good for say a W.W.III 1950's thing,or a Twilight 2000 junkyard build

I may build that later in 2009

Or as Jeff asked me one night,adding the E8 suspension to the M10 and M36 tank destroyers The E8 tracks were better at off road  because of the wider tracks

[apophenia]

Nosir. It was Ram-based. Only one was built...

Actually, three Skink AA vehicles were built (plus five extra quad Polsten turrets). And the Skink was based on a Grizzly hull (Grizzly being a licence-built M4A1 Sherman). The big visual difference was the Grizzly's CDP (Canadian Dry Pin) tracks.

Fine Scale Modeler (Oct 96) had an excellent background article on the Skink by George R. Bradford (of AFV News). BTW, George's 1/35th plans of both Skink and Grizzly I are available:

http://www.geocities.com/firefly1002000/1_35.htm

Postwar, refurbished Grizzly Kangaroo APCs were sent to Portugal. At least one former Skink was included in that mix.

http://web.inter.nl.net/users/spoelstra/g104/apcgriz.htm

[General Zod]

For all the Sherman tank fans This would be a good militia type tank for a post W.W III build It's a narrow hull hatch Sherman,armed with a 76mm T23 turret None of that type ever saw production Notice the M48/M60 style commander's cupola

[dy031101]

Narrow hull hatch Sherman? 

[General Zod]

Narrow hull hatch Sherman? 

That refers to the driver and hull machine gunner hatches Usually the narrow hatches were common on M4,M4A1,M4A2,M4A4,and some M4A3 Shermans Shortly after D Day,the front hulls were redesigned to include wider hatches,so it was easier getting in and out

As far as I know,only wide hatch Sherman tanks had the 76mm,as well as a 75,mm,or 105mm

[Logan Hartke]

For all the Sherman tank fans This would be a good militia type tank for a post W.W III build It's a narrow hull hatch Sherman,armed with a 76mm T23 turret None of that type ever saw production Notice the M48/M60 style commander's cupola

Very neat.  Do you have any pics from the back?  Is it really an M4A3 like that placard says?  If so, it's a rare one with the early 56 degree hull, not the 47 degree hull most commonly found on the M4A3.

Thanks,

Logan Hartke

[General Zod]

For all the Sherman tank fans This would be a good militia type tank for a post W.W III build It's a narrow hull hatch Sherman,armed with a 76mm T23 turret None of that type ever saw production Notice the M48/M60 style commander's cupola

Very neat.  Do you have any pics from the back?  Is it really an M4A3 like that placard says?  If so, it's a rare one with the early 56 degree hull, not the 47 degree hull most commonly found on the M4A3.

Thanks,

Logan Hartke

Logan
You're welcome I came across this pic while searching for 76mm Shermans using the gun travel lock I didn't see any other pix of this one I will look around It must be some cobbled together museum piece
Love your avatar pic of Lee Marvin 

[Just call me Ray]

For all the Sherman tank fans This would be a good militia type tank for a post W.W III build It's a narrow hull hatch Sherman,armed with a 76mm T23 turret None of that type ever saw production Notice the M48/M60 style commander's cupola

Very neat.  Do you have any pics from the back?  Is it really an M4A3 like that placard says?  If so, it's a rare one with the early 56 degree hull, not the 47 degree hull most commonly found on the M4A3.

Thanks,

Logan Hartke

...you kinda lost me there, I wasn't aware there were different Sherman hull types other than "cast," "welded" and "jumbo."

[General Zod]

For all the Sherman tank fans This would be a good militia type tank for a post W.W III build It's a narrow hull hatch Sherman,armed with a 76mm T23 turret None of that type ever saw production Notice the M48/M60 style commander's cupola

Very neat.  Do you have any pics from the back?  Is it really an M4A3 like that placard says?  If so, it's a rare one with the early 56 degree hull, not the 47 degree hull most commonly found on the M4A3.

Thanks,

Logan Hartke

...you kinda lost me there, I wasn't aware there were different Sherman hull types other than "cast," "welded" and "jumbo."

Please don't forget the composite /hybrid hull That was an M4 with a cast front end,and welded hull sides and rear The Sherman tank can be confusing 

[General Zod]

This is from the track48 site

http://www.track48.com/shop/xnews.php?newsid=566

[dy031101]

US WWII tank destroyers are said to be open-top both for improved view for the vehicle commander and as a weight-saving measure.

How much of a weight would a turret roof add to the vehicle?