Warren Peace Posted September 11, 2000 Share Posted September 11, 2000 I thought that the "W" variant of the sherman stood for Wet storage, making them less prone to blowing up. However, it also seems to have thicker armor on the front hull. Is this historically accurate? This is not the same as the extra welded armor put on in the field? (I thought the "+: refered to that) Warren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullethead Posted September 12, 2000 Share Posted September 12, 2000 You're right, the W does stand for wet stowage. And the + stands for extra field-added armor. But there's more to it than that.. The Sherman underwent many detail factor modifications during its production that did not seem to change the designation of the vehicle. Some such changes affected armor. The most notable was a mod that changed the front hull plate design. Originally it was 2" at a 56^ slope, which left the drivers' hatches sticking out in front like little turrets. Then in the "ultimate Sherman" mod, the front plate became 2.5" at 47^ with the drivers' hatches on the hull roof and the whole front plate flat across. Another mod changed the original 3-piece differential cover to a 1-piece, thicker casting. So, for example, some M4A3s had the original armor configuration and some had the later version. Both were M4A3s but had different armor. But because the W mod was also a later improvement, it was more likely to appear on an "ultimate" Sherman than an early version. So on some versions of the Sherman in CM, you'll see the old front armor on the non-Ws and the new armor on the Ws. ------------------ -Bullethead Want a naval sim? Check out Raider Operations at www.historicalgames.bizland.com/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Peace Posted September 12, 2000 Author Share Posted September 12, 2000 thanks for the info. Almost makes you want to go out and by the ultamate sherman book for $100.00 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted September 12, 2000 Share Posted September 12, 2000 The Squadron/Signal Sherman book, while it may fall somewhat short of being ultimate, is nevertheless useful and comes in quite a bit under $100. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Oberly Posted September 12, 2000 Share Posted September 12, 2000 Michael-what's the full title of this book?I'm not familiar with it. Thanks,Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted September 13, 2000 Share Posted September 13, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike Oberly: Michael-what's the full title of this book?I'm not familiar with it. Thanks,Mike<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Don't know off-hand and can't get to my copy without moving a ton of stuff (what happens when you are an avid reader in a small apartment). I tried to do a web search for Squadron/Signal's home page, but the most likely address was broken. Sorry, would like to help, but... Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccooper Posted September 13, 2000 Share Posted September 13, 2000 Hello There are actually a couple of Squadron/Signal books available on the market right now - Sherman in Action and Sherman Walk Around which deals with museum vehicles in detail. Both books focus on US use. The first title sells for about $12 Cdn while the 2nd goes for about $20 (its twice the size and was just recently published). I can't remember the author names off hand but I can easily get the info as both titles are part of my library. If your interested both books should be easily available through a quality local hobby shop. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted September 13, 2000 Share Posted September 13, 2000 Right! Sherman in Action is the one I have. I'm glad it's still in print. I did some more web searching after my last post and came up with the Sherman Walkaround title but could not find a listing for the Action one. If you live in or near a city large enough to have a big hobby shop you might go in and see if they have the Squadron/Signal catalogue or can get you one (they are free I think). That should give you a full listing with prices. Squadron/Signal is an excellent publishing house. Their books, while not the absolute last word on their subjects, manage to pack a lot of interesting information into a compact and affordable format. Another thing to be on the lookout for if they are still in print, is the Bellona series of monographs of AFVs of all types and nationalities. If memory serves, each issue has 8 pages and gives the specs of 4 different vehicles. Certain issues of AFV News had interesting articles on WW II vehicles. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Oberly Posted September 13, 2000 Share Posted September 13, 2000 Thanks guys!I will definitely be grabbing these. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas Rudd Posted September 13, 2000 Share Posted September 13, 2000 If I may, the $100.00 Sherman book is by Hunnicut, can get it at Amazon. Did a awesome book years ago on the Pershing tank, and other U.S. heavy tanks. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted September 14, 2000 Share Posted September 14, 2000 Finally found a website offering Sherman in Action: www.cibmedia.com . Their search engine is a little awkward (so what else is new!), but with a little perseverance you can find it. They are offering it for US$12. No idea what S&H is. They also have a load of unit histories and lots of videos. Looks like a good source. Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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