The M4 Sherman, officially 'Medium Tank, M4,' was the primary
tank used by the United States during World War 2, and was also
distributed to other Allied forces. It was the first American
medium tank with the main gun mounted on a fully traversing
turret. More than 50,000 Sherman tanks were produced,and its
chassis served as the basis for numerous other armored vehicles
such as tank destroyers, tank retrievers, and self-propelled
artillery. Only the Soviet T-34 tank was produced in larger
numbers. Sherman tanks were also adapted with flails for mine-
clearing, bulldozers, bridge-layers, flame-throwers, and other
devices. The M4A1 was an early version of the Sherman tank, The
model used by the Marines weighed 34 tons, mounted a 75mm gun,
and had frontal armor some three inches thick. Although a more
formidable weapon than the 16-ton high tank, with a 37mm gun,
the medium tank had certain shortcomings. A high silhouette made
it a comparatively easy target for enemy gunners, and narrow
treads provided poor tracti