Aaron Posted March 5, 2003 Share Posted March 5, 2003 I was reading a book (Roll Me Over by Raymond Gantter) and he makes a point that the US troops didn't call the Sherman a "Sherman" but instead refered to it as an "M4". I've only seen this mentioned in this one place. Can anyone confirm or deny this? He also make a point that everyone and his british girlfriend knew what SNAFU meant by the time of the invasion so the infantry guys stopped using it by then. Aaron 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted March 5, 2003 Share Posted March 5, 2003 Wouldn't know the answer to that one. Tell you what though, I'd ask these people if I were you: email ptrahan@wwiivets.com I am sure they will answer. They are extensively presented at http://www.wwiivets.com/home.htm They ought to know, as they were there. Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted March 5, 2003 Share Posted March 5, 2003 Sherman was a British designation for the M4 tank. The British also called it ELH (Egypt's Last Hope) IIRC. The Jeep was not called a jeep in many US Army units either; it was called a "peep", with the 1/2 ton truck being called "jeep" and the 3/4 ton truck being "beep" (for "Big Jeep"). Willy's-Overland started an ad campaign however, and the 1/4 ton truck was eventually the one universally called jeep. This did not happen during WW II entirely, though the movement was well on it's way. In British service, the 1/4 ton truck was often called 'blitzbuggy' The M3 mediums were called Grant and Lee by the British also; they named most of their American armour after US generals. I don't think it was official in the US Army, but they often followed suit, using the British applied names. M36 was Jackson while the M3 light tank was the Stuart. The M24 became "Chaffee". The Sherman in British service also had a number applied to it - the Sherman I was the M4, the M4A4 was the Sherman V (with longer hull and Chrysler multi-bank engine), with different armament receiving a letter suffix. Sherman Ic was a Sherman I with a 17 pounder cannon, Sherman Vc a Sherman V with 17 pounder, Sherman Ib was a Sherman I with the 105mm howitzer, etc. I believe the 76mm version of the Sherman used an "a" suffix. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John D Salt Posted March 5, 2003 Share Posted March 5, 2003 Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: Sherman was a British designation for the M4 tank. The British also called it ELH (Egypt's Last Hope) IIRC. I've only ever heard that applied to the Grant. Smithers in his "Rude Mechanicals" gives it as "England's Last Hope", but "Egypt's" would make sense if you're standing at Gazala or Alamein. Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: I believe the 76mm version of the Sherman used an "a" suffix. Correct. I don't think any 76mm Shermans were used by thr BLA in NWE, but some were used in Italy as substitutes for Fireflies. All the best, John. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcm1947 Posted March 5, 2003 Share Posted March 5, 2003 Michael, I may be wrong but I do believe that we name all of our tanks after generals and always have as far as I know. I doubt that the Sherman or Grant or whatever got it's name from the British and if true would be very interesting and fascinating. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombinedArms Posted March 5, 2003 Share Posted March 5, 2003 Originally posted by lcm1947: Michael, I may be wrong but I do believe that we name all of our tanks after generals and always have as far as I know. I doubt that the Sherman or Grant or whatever got it's name from the British and if true would be very interesting and fascinating. Michael is quite right about this. The British started the pattern of naming US tanks after American (Civil War) generals (e.g. also the Stuart for the US "cavalry tank"). The names were apt and stuck and started the US naming their tanks that way (beginning, I think with the M-24 Chafee). I believe that the Brits also named the Mustang and Thunderbolt. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaylord Focker Posted March 5, 2003 Share Posted March 5, 2003 Yodeleeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyhoooooooooooooooooooo! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcm1947 Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Well you learn something new every day. How interesting. Those darn British are something else nameing our tanks for us. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaylord Focker Posted March 6, 2003 Share Posted March 6, 2003 Originally posted by lcm1947: Well you learn something new every day. How interesting. Those darn British are something else nameing our tanks for us. I did'nt know about that before reading this thread too! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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