Shortround6
Major General
The US might have frittered away fewer tank crewmen if they had realized that, however good a tank may have been in 1942, it was going to be obsolete in 1945/45.
The US actually had the production capacity to use on at least one non-standard tank. Or at least was the country in the best position to build more than one type of tank. Granted M4A3E8 was a lot better than a 1942 Sherman M4 but then a 1945 T-34/85 was a lot better than a 1941 T-34 and the Soviets were working on the T-44.
The Americans built about 73% of the number of MK IVs produced in M3 Grants and Lees alone.
They also built (but perhaps wisely did not commit to combat in large numbers) about 25,000 M3/M5 Stuarts. add another 4700 M-24s made before August 1945.
Throw in a number of the US "oddballs" that never made it offshore like 250 M23 tanks
with electric transmissions that stayed in the US. Total production of M20 series tanks (including prototypes) up to the end of May 1944 was 301 ?
The Sherman was built in 9 different factories (although not all factories made large numbers) and with 4 major engine types, cast and welded hulls (and a Hybrid hull), different turrets on later models and two different suspension systems so as a "standard" tank it might leave a bit to be desired
The US actually had the production capacity to use on at least one non-standard tank. Or at least was the country in the best position to build more than one type of tank. Granted M4A3E8 was a lot better than a 1942 Sherman M4 but then a 1945 T-34/85 was a lot better than a 1941 T-34 and the Soviets were working on the T-44.
The Americans built about 73% of the number of MK IVs produced in M3 Grants and Lees alone.
They also built (but perhaps wisely did not commit to combat in large numbers) about 25,000 M3/M5 Stuarts. add another 4700 M-24s made before August 1945.
Throw in a number of the US "oddballs" that never made it offshore like 250 M23 tanks
with electric transmissions that stayed in the US. Total production of M20 series tanks (including prototypes) up to the end of May 1944 was 301 ?
The Sherman was built in 9 different factories (although not all factories made large numbers) and with 4 major engine types, cast and welded hulls (and a Hybrid hull), different turrets on later models and two different suspension systems so as a "standard" tank it might leave a bit to be desired