Frankly, I looked at your citation and read it. So what I’m supposed to believe is that this expert is completely right and every other account I’ve seen and heard (in one show from actual tank crews) is wrong.
Actual crew driving what? Using what kind of ammo? Did they die to a German tank or just heard things from other guys in combat? Scuttlebutt is not the same as hard data when it comes to hindsight. As post 76 here points out, the actual data does not support them being deathtraps. There are accounts of Shermans doing well versus Panthers and Tigers. Just depends on which accounts you read. and from which battles. Crew training played a very critical role as well (see the Battle of Arracourt).