The French are reported to have received 274 M4A4s as Lend Lease. In
addition, a small number, perhaps less than 50, former British M4A4s
(Sherman Vs) were passed on to them in 1945. These had been part of a
January 1945 emergency transfer of 351 Shermans from the British to the
US Army to make up for losses sustained during the Battle of the Bulge.
Based on our study of surviving M4A4Ts, it appears that the French
collected up more M4A4s from European tank dumps in the post war years.
Pierre-Olivier found evidence to that effect at
the French Military Archives in an entry in the records of the 2ème
Régiment de Hussards dated 13 September 1949, "Lieutenant Jeannest Louis
of the 4th squadron detached for 3 months to the joint commission set
up for acceptance operations of M4A4 medium tanks from Belgium." At
present, P-O has not come across any statement of the numbers involved
in these "acceptance [purchase] operations". The Continental Radial was
more or less a drop in fit into the roomier engine compartment of the
M4A4 because, in order to accommodate the massive 30-cylinder Chrysler
Multibank engine, the M4A4 was made 11 inches longer than the standard
Sherman. The Multibank with its front mounted radiator (position 1) was
so large that there was no room for vertical fuel tanks in the front
corners of the engine compartment, such as were present on Radial
engined M4s and M4A1s. However, the elongated hull enabled the sponson
fuel tanks (positions 2) to be enlarged to hold 80 gallons each. Thus,
the two fuel tanks of the M4A4 held 160 gallons, versus the 175-gallon
capacity of the four fuel tanks on M4s and M4A1 Shermans. There might
have been room for them, but the examination of a few M4A4T wrecks
suggests that no vertical fuel tanks were retrofitted, so that the
Transformés retained the M4A4's 160-gallon capacity. We would note that
the fuel tanks of M4s, M4A1s and M4A4s suffered in common from an
excessive heat condition, which caused melted solder joints and other
fire hazards. This was remedied by the addition of a pair grouser
compartment covers with air inlet grills (3) that provided for greater
air flow to the fuel tanks, as demonstrated in the illustration above
from the M4A4 Technical Manual.
Aside from the interior M4A4T ID plate, most of the survivors examined
have been noted with "Rebuild" plates welded to the tank's exterior. In
some cases, they have been found in three places on the same tank -
affixed to the front and rear of the hull, as well as on the top of the
turret. Of course, in many instances, the plates are unreadable from
rusting or being painted over. The photo on the left shows what is
typically stamped on one of these plates. The right-side photo points to
the "usual" location of the front plate as noted on M4A4T Serial Number
18683, a monument Sherman on display in Saint Come du Mont, France. The
plate's first line reads "A R L", which indicates that the tank was
rebuilt or converted at the French Army facility known as "Atelier de
construction de Rueil." "Char N 574" is thought to be the Serial Number
of this particular rebuild or conversion, and of course, "DATE 8.12.50"
[8 December 1950] is assumed to be the date that "N 574" was accepted.
Of the 33 M4A4Ts from which we have been able to record information, 11
have been noted with "Rebuild" plates where it is possible to see the "A
R L" stamping. Our subject has the earliest readable A R L date. Two
others are stamped Jan. 1951, one April '51, one July '51, two December
'52 and one January 1953. We haven't as yet been able to determine if A R
L did the actual Transformé conversions or simple rebuilt these tanks;
it's just that their plates are the most common ones seen on extant
M4A4Ts. Unfortunately, there is no indication of the converting facility
on the few remaining M4A4T identification plates affixed to the wall to
the left of the driver's seat. We would note that the M4A4T on display
in Camp de Mourmelon, France has a "Rebuild" plate on the glacis that is
stamped "ERGMEB" [Etablissement de Réserve Générale du Matériel -
Engins Blindés], but if there is a Char Number or date stamped on, we
cannot read it. A few non M4A4T French Shermans have been observed with
"ERGMEB" rebuild plates. In addition, quite a few surviving French
Shermans of all types, as well as other AFVs have been observed with ABS
[Atelier de construction de Bourges] plates. P-O examined a turretless
M4A4T range recovery hull that had a plate stamped "A-BS, No 660-1953".
In any case, the questions that remain to be answered would be the total
number of Transformé conversions completed and the identification of
the company or companies that did the conversions.
It is thought that the French Army stamped the Ordnance Serial Number on
most or all of the AFVs used in service in the post war years. This has
been recorded from quite a few surviving Shermans tanks to the extent
that we refer to it informally as "the Serial Number inside a box." In
some cases, the word "Chassis" is included within the "box" as seen
above on the left. This stamping is not always exactly in the same
place. Anyone wishing to see it is advised to look around on the front
of the tank. While the SN stamping is not exclusive to the M4A4Ts, it
has been noted on almost all surviving examples.
The photo on the left shows the typical M4A4 engine deck
configuration. The forward sections include an air intake grill (1), and
a cast armor blister (2) which protected the Multibank engine's
oversized radiator. The middle section of the deck (3) was hinged, and
could be lifted by means of a pair of handles. The rear section (4) was
not removable, but permanently welded to the hull. The photo on the
right shows the same view of an M4A4 after the Transformé engine swap.
As best we can tell, the conversion retained the M4A4's middle engine
deck plate (3), and simply replaced the forward sections with the
forward section of an M4/M4A1. The air intake was protected by a large
armored cover (5), and this in turn was protected by a surrounding
bullet splash (6).
One might assume that the M4A4T's forward engine deck section was
salvaged from surplus or obsolete M4s or M4A1s. That might have been the
case on some, although we have not as yet encountered such an example.
The twelve surviving M4A4Ts that we have seen that still have this
section, are installed with what appear to be aftermarket components
fabricated by a French firm specifically for the Transformé program.
From personal examination we would judge that the entire "French" plate
is a casting that includes the bullet splash surround. In contrast, the
standard US designed M4/M4A1 forward engine deck section was an armor
plate with the bullet splash welded on to it. The "French casting"
features five additional bolt holes directly behind the bullet splash.
These are NOT present on the standard US engine deck section. On 11 out
of 12 examples examined so far, the "French" bullet splash is indented
in order to accommodate three of the bolts. The examination of a few
survivors reveals that these additional bolts held a baffle plate
(inset) inside the engine compartment. The armored air intake covers
have casting marks not seen on any of the same US produced intake covers
that we have encountered. Like the standard 1944 US produced version of
this plate, there are no fuel filler locations on either side of the
air intake opening (marked by Xs), but in this case, it is because the
M4A4 did not have vertical fuel tanks. We have also noted that there are
six bolts along the sponson edges, as opposed to four on the standard
US radial deck. Finally the hinges, with their slotted bolt heads are
aftermarket parts, as they are not original to M4, M4A1 or M4A4 Shermans.
The photos above show the casting marks on two of the French produced
armored air intake covers. We would speculate that the name of the
foundry that cast these pieces might be represented by the letter "C,”
possibly CAIL ("Société française de constructions mécaniques" (SFCM),
also known as "Anciens Établissements Cail") the firm whose name is seen
on the hull casting of the Somua S-35 medium tank. “No" might be for
"numéro," and pertain to the serial number of the individual casting –
thought to be 3 on the left and 161 on the right. The part number or
"numéro de pièce" would be the same on all of the castings, and looks to
have been "64688." For comparison, the part number of US WW II produced
intake covers is D51304, and has been seen cast on the underside, as in
the inset. The dates that the French parts were cast appear to be 1 51
(January 1951) and 3 52 (March 1952), and perhaps provide something of a
clue regarding the chronology of the Transformé program.
The photos above provide
comparison views of the engine deck of an M4A4T on the left, alongside
the "factory" engine deck of an M4(105) on the right. As noted
above, the primary indication that the M4A4T’s forward deck was
not salvaged from a US produced M4 or M4A1 are the three indents (1)
seen here, which allowed the fitting of the additional bolts that held
the baffle plate inside the engine compartment. In some cases, the
indentations are very subtle, and don’t show up in photos, but
have been noted during “hands on” examinations. It can be
seen that the bullet splash rail of the "factory" deck (2) is
welded on. Of course, these welds are not present on the
Transformé’s one piece casting. Another difference is that
there are two bolts securing the forward edge on both sides of the air
intake on the original factory deck (we’ve circled one of the
bolts in red). These bolts are not present on any of the
Transformé replacement decks that we have examined. As mentioned
earlier, M4A4T conversions appear to have retained the M4A4's middle
engine deck plate, but none of the few surviving M4A4Ts that still have
these plates show them retrofitted with the engine oil filler
cap (3) such as seen on Second Generation M4s and M4A1s. Also of
note is the difference in location and shape of the engine crank holes
(4).
It is thought that the French received a number of replacement
Continental R-975-C1 or C4 engines as "Spare Parts" for the
approximately 1500 radial engined M4(105)s and M4A1(76)s that they were
issued as Mutual Defense Assistance in the early 1950s. These crated
engine kits appear to have included a number of additional items
including new instrument panels, air cleaners with all the necessary
piping and fittings, and the Barber-Colman type of exhaust deflectors.
The air cleaners (1) and the centrally mounted exhaust pipes (2) were
adapted to fit the M4A4 hull. Although we have not encountered any
surviving examples that still have it present, it is evident that the
exhaust deflector was installed as indicated by the fittings (3) that
secured it in the "down" position. Most or all of the surviving M4A4Ts
are noted to have been retrofitted with the "control plate" with handle
(4) that served to position the "Air Outlet Shutter" in the open or
closed position as explained in the caption to follow.
The "Air Outlet Shutter" (1) is missing from most surviving M4A4Ts.
However, we found an example installed on M4A4T SN 5159 on display at
the D-Day Omaha Museum in Vierville-sur-Mer. Surviving M4(105)s and
M4A1(76)s are observed with only two holes in their "control plates",
which we take to be for fully open when the handle is in the left hole
and fully closed when the handle is in the right-side hole. The fully
closed position would have been used in the event that the crew would
want to retain warm air in the engine compartment during extreme cold
weather. The Technical Manual warns, "Do not operate vehicle with the
air outlet shutters closed, as overheating and serious damage to the
engine may result because of the restricted flow of cooling air." Of
interest is that surviving M4A4Ts are seen without exception to have
control plates with three holes as on this example. We assume that the
middle hole offered a "halfway open" option since the "Air Outlet
Shutter" shown here appears to be in the "halfway open" position. In any
case, the three hole control plate appears to be an M4A4T "thing." In
this photo, the operation of the "Air Outlet Shutter" control mechanism
is pretty self-explanatory. We can't help but think that the "Air Outlet
Shutter" assembly may have been included as a component of the "new old
stock" replacement R-975-C1/C4 engines.
About a half dozen of the
surviving M4A4Ts have been recovered from target ranges. A few examples
are very badly damaged, and have been reduced to hulks, missing so much
that a proper ID is difficult. In the case shown above, the primary
clue that this was an M4A4T is the oblong engine crank hole (1) that
was drilled or ground into the top center of the M4A4’s upper
rear hull plate. Only radial engine Shermans used a hand crank as
part of the engine start up procedure. On airplanes with radial
engines, a ground crewman would spin the propeller a few times so as to
test for hydrostatic lock. On radial Shermans, it was not
necessary to hand crank the engine every time it was started.
Crews were advised to crank the engine to test for hydrostatic
lock "If the engine is cold, or has stood for 6 hours or
more." Step 1 of the starting procedure was, “Have engine
turned over four complete crankshaft revolutions by hand (about 50
turns of the hand crank).” This would work to expel any excess
fuel or oil that may have accumulated, particularly in the combustion
chambers of the cylinders closest to the ground. A secondary M4A4T
clue seen here is the "control plate" (2) for the "Air Outlet Shutter".
The two 80-gallon fuel tanks of the M4A4 are missing from this hulk,
but they sat on the sponsons in the area indicated by the number 3.
A hand crank would have to have been provided for each M4A4T, either
fabricated by the converting firm or salvaged from a surplus M4 or M4A1.
The photo above shows the M4A4T on display at Camp de Mourmelon in
France. The hand crank (1) seen here, along with the track wrench (2),
do NOT reflect the appearance of the US produced original equipment
tools. It is not known if the crank was made during the Transformé
program, or fashioned in later years for the display. We would note that
the position of the hand crank fittings corresponds to what has been
observed on other M4A4Ts. Also of note are the fittings with reflectors
attached (3). These (or their weld scars) have been observed on most or
all surviving M4A4Ts, so it is thought that they were added as part of
the conversion process. This tank is Serial Number 4825. It would have
been accepted in August, 1942, and is at present the earliest surviving
M4A4 that we have recorded. It has the look of one of the 1610 M4A4s
remanufactured by Chrysler, and supplied to the British as Lend Lease in
1944. Despite the fact that the French received 274 M4A4s as Lend
Lease, a surprising number of the surviving M4A4Ts are remanufactured,
former British/Commonwealth Shermans. As mentioned earlier, it is
thought that they were salvaged from post war tank dumps.
The commander's "split hatch"
cupola was installed as original equipment on all new production and
remanufactured M4A4 Shermans. The transition to the "commander's vision
cupola" on new production Shermans was completed in May 1944.
Furthermore, a Modification Work Order (MWO G104-W112) was released in
September 1944. The improved cupola was to be retrofitted to all
"medium tanks of the M4 series located in overseas theaters of
operation or those scheduled for overseas shipment." These cupolas were
greatly superior to the old split hatches and were in high demand in
combat zones. However, in the end, very few of the approximately 10000
kits produced were shipped overseas for field installation before the
end of WW II. About 1300 of the kits were retrofitted to Shermans
remanufactured in 1945. Thus, thousands of the kits would have been
available as "new old stock" after WW II, and it is thought that the
French received some as MDAP "Spare Parts" in the early 1950s. The
photo above shows some French M4A4s in service with the 11ème
Groupe d'Escadrons de Chars Moyens in Berlin in November 1951. These
are "regular" M4A4s as evidenced by the distinctive "radiator blisters"
(orange arrows) on the engine decks. The first two can be seen to have
been retrofitted with commander's vision cupolas (green arrows) while
"Saigon" still has the old split hatch cupola (green arrow). In addition, the
sirens can be seen to have been relocated from the "factory" position on
the left front fender to the glacis plate (red arrows), although there are no
siren guards evident. This is just to point out that these modifications
were not exclusive to M4A4T conversions. For future reference, note the
non standard position of the Anti-Aircraft Machine Guns on the examples
with the vision cupolas.
The study of surviving M4A4Ts along with the few available period
photos, suggests that all of them were retrofitted with the "commander's
vision cupola" during the conversion process if they did not already
have the modification installed. Aside from the vision cupola (1), MWO
G104-W112 also included parts for an Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Pintle
Assembly (2). The MWO gives very specific instructions about the
location of the pintle (lower inset), and it can be seen that it was to
be mounted nearly touching the commander's cupola. However, judging by a
few surviving turrets and period photos, it is evident that the French
positioned the pintle a bit further to the left as seen here. A vane
sight (3 and upper inset) was also provided to replace the old blade
sight (4). Additionally, instructions were given in the MWO for
relocating the commander’s seat bracket, "to permit tank commander to
look through vision blocks while seated." One of the final instructions
in the vision cupola modification kit is "Install cal. .50 antiaircraft
machine gun stowage brackets (5) on back of turret in accordance with
MWO G104-W108, if vehicle is not so equipped." Thus, these two
modifications were intended to be installed together. It is thought that
the French received some of the MG stowage kits as well, since this mod
is seen installed on many of the surviving turrets along with the
commander's vision cupola.
The photo above shows the turret on M4A4T Serial Number 21752
(July 1943) on display as a monument in Chavannes-le-Grand, France. It
provides a slightly better view of the non-standard position of the
Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Pintle Assembly (1) and barrel holder (2).
Surviving M4A4Ts and the few available period photos, suggest that the
French deliberately relocated the pintle on their M4A4s upgraded with
the commander's vision cupola modification. This tank has an unreadable
"Rebuild plate" on the glacis. However, it has an ARL "TOURELLE"
[turret] plate (arrow and inset), although the tourelle number and date
are not legible. This no pistol port turret has the "C in an octagon"
(3) caster's logo of the American Steel Foundry's East Chicago, Indiana
plant. ASF was one of Chrysler's main suppliers of turret castings, so
this may well be the original turret of SN 21752. What appears to be
concrete has been used to "seal" various holes in the turret. However,
the periscope cover on the commander's hatch is missing, leaving that
wide open to the weather.
From start to finish, Chrysler M4A4s, including the 1610 units
remanufactured from December 1943 through October 1944, were built with a
siren factory installed on the left front fender as shown in the upper
left. The siren most commonly used on the M4A4 was the Federal Type 160
with the "V for victory" grill (1). Power was supplied by conduit, and
the coupling (2) is often all that remains on many surviving Shermans.
Post war photos suggest that the French relocated the siren on a number
of their "regular" M4A4s. It is also evident that, if it hadn't been
already, the siren was relocated with the M4A4T conversion, since
surviving examples show the siren mounted on a pad on the left front of
the glacis plate just below the hull lifting ring. The sirens are long
since gone on most surviving M4A4Ts, but a mounting pad (3) remains. A
siren guard (4) was fabricated, which on some hulls, is seen with wire
mesh welded to its face. We have not seen it on any surviving M4A4Ts,
but a few period photos show some M4A4Ts with "hoods" (inset) mounted on
the siren guards. We would note in passing that a few extant M4A4Ts and
other French rebuilt Shermans are outfitted with a siren with stars
around the faceplate (5).
The
stars around the faceplate are not typical of any of the various US
produced sirens supplied to Sherman manufacturers. This siren was made
in France, probably during the late 1940s or early 1950s, by Cicca
(Compagnie Industrielle et Commerciale du Cycle et de
l’Automobile), an auto equipment and accessories manufacturer
based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris.
Nonstandard mudguards (or traces of them) are seen on the rear of
many of the M4A4Ts (1), so it is thought that they may have been added
as part of the Transformé conversion, if they had not already been
installed during an earlier rebuild. We featured the turret of this
M4A4T, SN 21752, in a previous caption. It is painted and marked in
honor of “Foch” an early 1943 production M4A4 of the 1er Régiment de
Chasseurs d'Afrique, 5ème Division Blindée, that was knocked out near
Chavannes-le-Grand on 23 November 1944. The inset photo of the original
"Foch" is displayed on a marker at the site of the monument. Four
members of the crew were reported to have been killed in action.
The French received large
numbers of Armored Fighting Vehicles from the US as Military Assistance
in the early years of the 1950s. Almost 3000 Medium Tanks were
supplied. Aside from nearly 1500 Shermans, 544 M26 Pershings and 854
"M46, M47, M48 Series" Pattons were reported to have been shipped as of
31 January 1954. Given that, it is somewhat surprising that the French
Army would have needed to do the Transformé conversions at all,
much less obtain more obsolete M4A4s from British/Commonwealth post war
surplus. Although M4A4Ts represent a good number of the surviving
Shermans in France, period photos of them in French service are rare,
and we certainly wanted to have at least one on our page, so when we
saw the snapshot above offered for sale on an online auction site, we
"won" it. The seller described it as "Photo ancienne - Snapshot -
Militaire - Défilé Armistice - Char - Tank - PARIS -
Champs Elysées - WW2". "KILSTETT" can be seen to have the
elongated M4A4 hull. That combined with the M4/M4A1 type armored air
intake cover positively identifies it as a Transformé. Also
visible is one of the nonstandard mudguards (arrow) that we think were
added as part of the Transformé conversion. In addition, note
the control plate (circled) for the Air Outlet Shutter. Kilstett is a
village 15 kms north of Strasbourg. The M4A4T's name no doubt honors
the Battle of Kilstett, fought entirely by French forces in January
1945. It is described as the battle that saved Strasbourg from being
recaptured by the Germans during the Nordwind Offensive. Note the
little "G" (outlined in blue) painted on the rear on the hull. We are
not sure if there is a connection but would mention in passing that Gendarmes of the 4ème Régiment de la Garde Républicaine played a role in the defense of Kilstett.
After
seeing the "KILSTETT" photo, we looked around for photos and films
relating to military parades along the Champs Elysées in the early
1950s. Sure enough, the "Images Défense" website has some footage of "Le défilé 14 juillet 1954 sur les Champs Elysées à Paris, présidé
par le président de la République René Coty, accompagné du général
Koenig et le général Zeller." A number of different types of armored vehicles are shown in the 1954
Bastille Day parade, including M3A1 Scout Cars, M8 Armored Cars, M26
Pershings, and M47 Pattons along with French-produced Panhard EBR
Armored Cars and AMX-13 75mm Light Tanks. What caught our eye,
though, was a dozen or so M4A4Ts. Although no unit markings can be seen on the tanks, the dark
colored uniforms and rank insignias of the tank commanders (inset from some other footage) suggest that they were part of the French Gendarmerie,
most likely the Premier Groupe Blindé de la Garde Républicaine. (After 1945, the Gendarmerie
continued to have the rank insignia sewn on the lower part of the
sleeve, whereas other French units had the insignia sewn in the "usual"
location on the shoulder.) The tanks in the foreground can
be seen with the names "FEROCE" (left) and "FANTASQUE". Other names
observed in the footage are "MONCEY", "STONNE", "ILE DE FRANCE",
"FURIEUX", "LORRAINE", "NORMANDIE" and of course, "KILSTETT". The little
fittings seen mounted on the outside edges of the upper rear hull plate
held light reflectors and we take them to be minor clues of an M4A4T
conversion. From our examination of the footage, all of these are seen
with the full suite of applique armor on the sides and in front of the
driver's hoods. We would point out that there is at least one surviving
Transformé that has no applique whatsoever and at least two that have
it on the sides but not in front of the driver's hoods. Some of the
tanks in the footage appear to be outfitted with the Barber-Colman
exhaust deflectors, although "Fantasque" seems to have the earlier type
M4/M4A1 deflector. Most of the M4A4Ts are observed to have M34A1 Gun
Mounts, but at least two have the earlier M34 Gun mounts. The M34A1 Gun
Mount was a requirement of US Sherman remanufacturing programs during WW
II; however, it may not have been a requirement of the M4A4T conversion
program.
These screen captures from the 1954 Bastille Day parade footage
show right-side and right-rear views of "FANTASQUE". This example
appears to be outfitted with a "no pistol port" turret like "KILSTETT",
but unlike "KILSTETT", it does not have the machine gun stowage fittings
on the turret bustle. The .50 caliber Anti-Aircraft machine gun (1) is
positioned further to the left than the standard pintle mounting
location. Indeed, all of the M4A4Ts in the parade footage are seen with
the AA MG mounted similarly. We consider this to be the "French
location" of the AA MG pintle fittings supplied with the "commander's
vision cupola" modification kit. We think "FANTASQUE" may be installed
with the earlier type of M4/M4A1 exhaust deflector (arrow) but can't say
for sure. The idler wheel (2) appears to be a four spoke, aftermarket
fabrication seen on a few surviving French Shermans. The "Matricule
Number" [French Registration Number] may be "814749" (3) but again we
can't say for sure due to motion blur.
In 2012, Pierre-Olivier
photographed a turretless M4A4T range hulk in a private collection in
France. The hull has since been stripped and painted, but at that time,
the name "Fantasque" could be discerned among the paint layers. We
must assume that this is the same M4A4T seen in the 1954 Bastille Day
parade footage. The hull has the French "Serial Number inside a box"
stamped on the glacis plate, and the SN is also stamped on the hull
"wall" to the left of the driver's seat as shown in the lower inset.
The rectangular object outlined in blue in the inset is likely the
tank's original Chrysler dataplate, but, as is so often the case, it is
rusted unreadable. It can be seen that the Serial Number is 22434,
indicating that it was built by Chrysler in August 1943. Going by the
late production date, along with the very neat appearance of the
welding, we would judge that the front and side applique plates were
factory installed by Chrysler. Counting heads suggest that the 274
M4A4s received by the French as Lend Lease were produced in late 1942
and early 1943, so SN 22434 would not have been one of them. We suspect
that SN 22434 was shipped as built to the British in the third or
fourth quarter of 1943. Indeed, P-O found traces of a British War
Department Number under the paint layers, but the most he could make
out was "T 2XXXXX". The tank does not appear to have been installed
with any of the modifications typically done by the British in the
European Theater of Operations, so perhaps it was shipped to the
Mediterranean Theater, or maybe it was simply delivered but never
processed for issue? In any case, the French Army acquired it somehow,
and it has a rusty plate affixed to the front indicating that it was
"Char N 646" rebuilt or converted at the Atelier de Rueil on 13
July 1951. One of the parade images of "Fantasque" shows a four spoke,
aftermarket idler wheel. It can be seen to better effect in the photo
above (1), and these are installed on both sides of SN 22434. What we
informally call "the plain sprocket" (2) is also installed on both
sides and can be seen on the left side of "Fantasque" in the parade
footage. Starting around October 1942 Chrysler used a rather
distinctive drive sprocket (upper inset). For want of a better term, we
refer to this as the "Chrysler sprocket," since counting heads suggests
that they installed it exclusively throughout their remaining
production of Shermans, including those with HVSS. Thus, we would
conclude that "the plain sprockets" on this unit would have been
replacements for the original Chrysler sprockets.
Here we have a rear view of SN 22434. As with most or all of the
range recovered M4A4Ts, this one is missing the engine as well as the
engine deck plates. Even so, it can be identified as a Transformé by the
Vortox air cleaner (1) that is still intact on the right side. Other
clues would be the oblong hole for the engine crank (2), the control
plate (3) for the Air Outlet Shutter and the weld scars (4) left behind
when the fittings for the reflector lights were removed or shot off on
the range. The "Matricule Number" painted across the upper rear hull
plate is partially visible as "8XX 749" (5). We were not able to get a
definitive read of the number in the parade footage of "Fantasque" so we
can't establish a "smoking gun" match. Note that traces of the
"Matricule Number" can also be seen painted on the left (outlined), in
the same location as in the parade footage of "Fantasque". The red
arrows point to a pair of armor patches very neatly welded to the curved
transition piece casting that joined the lower rear hull plate to the
belly plate on M4A4s. Each patch is composed of two sections with the
bottom piece curved to match the contours of the transition casting.
These have been noted on a few surviving M4A4Ts, but also on at least
two extant "regular" M4A4s and on two M4A4s in Italy that appear to be
Italian versions of Transformés. This would lead us to conclude that the
patches were not added in French workshops. We are aware of over 200
surviving M4A4s of all types, including 36 Fireflies, 20 Argentinian
"Repotenciados" and 16 "Funny Tank" conversions such as Crabs and DDs.
Of course, we have not been able to examine all of them for the patches
but have recorded 10 surviving examples. All of their Serial Numbers are
from the final Chrysler Production Order. The lowest SN is 21048 (June
1943) and the highest is our subject, 22434 (August 1943). Not all of
the late production survivors are noted with the patches. The pattern
that emerges would lead us to postulate that the patches were factory
installed by Chrysler on an as needed basis, perhaps to correct a flaw
found in some of the transition castings. If any readers have any
insight about "the patches" we would be happy to hear from you.
In
the tense years before the outbreak of the Second Arab-Israeli War in
October 1956, the Israelis managed to procure a number of former British
and French M4A4s. A few sources state that some were Transformés,
and we would wonder if some of the conversions were done by the French
specifically for “off the books” export to the state of Israel. We can
only observe that a small number of period photos, such as the above,
taken in September 1954 during an IDF Training Exercise in the Negev
Desert, show what appear to be M4A4Ts with the “indents” characteristic
of the French made forward engine deck section. The "control plate" (1)
for the "Air Outlet Shutter" can be seen to have been installed, as
well. On the other hand, we have not observed any evidence that spare
track holders (2) and blanket roll racks (3) were retrofitted to any of
the surviving M4A4Ts in France. Nor are they visible on the M4A4Ts in
the July 1954 parade footage. Perhaps these items were retrofitted by
the French at the behest of the Israelis, or by the Israelis themselves?
The low bustle turret can be seen to have been installed with the
commander's vision cupola (4), which we take to have been a requirement
of the M4A4T conversion program. As mentioned, the French appear to have
located the AA machine gun pintle in a different location from what was
instructed in Modification Work Order (MWO G104-W112). On the example
shown above, the machine gun (5) appears to be positioned directly in
front of the commander's hatch. The machine gun stowage fittings (6) are
observed in the few available period photos on some but not all of the
French M4A4Ts. It can be noted that the MWO kit for the MG stowage also
included the blanket roll rack. We
would assume that the pistol port (7) was welded up in the US before
the turret was shipped overseas on a Sherman during WW II. A D50878 low
bustle turret with welded up pistol port would not have had the oval
loader's hatch (8) seen here factory installed, so that important safety
feature would have been retrofitted, probably by the Israelis.
“First
Generation” Shermans with 75mm guns were still in combat use during the 1956
Sinai Campaign. It is thought that a number of these would have been M4A4Ts
with retrofitted loader’s hatches such as seen on the example in the previous
caption. None of these appear to have been preserved by the Israelis, possibly
because some or all were ultimately upgraded to the “legendary” M50
configuration. In
that regard, some French made M4A4T engine deck components appear to have been
recycled for reuse when Israeli Shermans were retrofitted with Cummins Diesel
Engines. On the top left is shown the French type casting marks on an armored
air intake cover half of an M4A4 based M50. On the bottom left are the “French
indentations” on the bullet splash halves on another M4A4 based M50. On the
right, we see both the indentations (arrow) and the French casting marks (circled in red) on an M4A1(76)
based M51. Of course, an M4A1 would have been built with the appropriate
forward engine deck components, but this example illustrates how original parts
were not necessarily reinstalled on their “mother” vehicles. Note that the
intake cover halves on the M50s on the left used only the original hinges, so
each half is attached with a single hinge. On the M51’s deck, the original
hinges can be seen to have been cut off, and two new hinges/fittings were added
to each half, perhaps for
greater stability. Photos and information courtesy of the late Tom
Gannon, a friend of Sherman Minutia.
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