temujin77

Thanks to you all, I've updated the caption:

"African-American troops of the 1st Bn, 24th Infantry Rgmt, US Army Americal Div behind a mid-production M4 Sherman tank, near Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, circa early 1944"

The link to the photo is here:
WW2DB: [Photo] African-American troops of the 1st Bn, 24th Infantry Rgmt, US Army Americal Div behind a mid-production M4 Sherman tank, near Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, Solomon Islands, circa early 1944

As for credits, you can find them in the comments section shortly

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Pete
World War II Database

Gun Grape

I know the MC was pushing for a phone since day one. The MC M-1s started getting phones in 01-02. And from the AARs from OIF everyone loved them.

Why doesn't the Army want to keep them?

smilingassassin

The prefered model for American forces was the M4A3, the only version I can find that comes close is the M4A6. It would be alot easier if we had a front view of the nose.

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zraver

Its not an M4 the turret lacks the ammo loading door, I stand by the M4A3 designation.

RustyBattleship

There is not question that it is an M4A3. But what variant can be difficult as the E1 to E8(?) variations are often very minute details and don't always show up in most photos.

Yes, one of the GIs there is on the tank's phone line for communication directly with the crew. This works fine when the engine is turned off. The twin exhausts on my M-41 would singe the whiskers of anybody within 5 feet and the noise is even worse than inside the driver's pit.

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Triple C

The suspension doesn't look like HVSS to me. I don't think it's an E8 whatever else it maybe.

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dalem

I agree. That is NOT the HVSS suspension. It also looks like it does not have the larger commander's cupola so that eliminates the later models. I'm going with the M4A2(L) for my guess.

-dale

Shipwreck

On the M4A3 :

* The rear armor reached below the sponson line (as on the M4A2)

* The rear deck engine grill doors ran from sponson to sponson (approx. as wide as the turret bustle on the M4A2)

The tank shown here has an *inverted U backplate* (as Wiki calls it ) and no grill doors.

Therefore it is NOT an M4A3.

Attached Images

m4a3 sherman.gif (26.0 KB, 21 views)

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Shipwreck

The engine compartment provide some key identifying features which the M4 shares with the M4A1, i.e. :

Rear hull :
* twin access doors,
* air cleaners at the top outer corners of the doors,
* twin square muffler tailpipes at the top of the rear hull above the air cleaners

Rear deck :
* steel-covered air intake behind the turret
* solid engine access doors behind the air intake

You can make out some of these features on the picture below showing a late-production M4 from the Detroit Diesel Arsenal (with a hybrid cast/welded hull).

Since the tank shown here is a welded hull Sherman, it is either an early-production M4 or a mid-production M4.

Either way, it remains an M4.

Attached Images

M4 late-production.jpg (66.1 KB, 19 views)

Albany Rifles

The Army loves them too but remember this is for a special field mod kit for use in urban environment.

The IK will still be there but the intention is to mount them only when needed by mission. I have seen what happens to sponsons boxes, etc on M1s and M2s when in a jungle/forest environment. Things tend to get bashed into uselessness.

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"Always with the negative waves Moriarty, always with the negative waves." TSGT Oddball, Tank Commander