Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Curious Case of the U.S. Army's M551 Sheridan Light Tank
National Interest ^ | January 27, 2017 | Sebastien Roblin

Posted on 01/30/2017 10:02:14 AM PST by C19fan

The M551 Sheridan light tank is largely remembered as a curiosity, an innovative weapon system that proved an overcomplicated failure in action. However, several hundred Sheridans provided useful service in three wars, and left behind a small but noticeable gap in the force structure since being withdrawn in the 1990s that the Army has struggled to fill. That’s because the Sheridan was easily transported by air and could even be dropped by parachute.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalinterest.org ...


TOPICS: History; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: army; tanks
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-49 last
To: tumblindice

And Zaloga’s book, a direct rebuttal to “Death Traps”: https://www.amazon.com/Armored-Thunderbolt-U-S-Sherman-World/dp/0811704246/ref=pd_cp_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DCATFXG65KVRZGWY2SGZ


41 posted on 01/30/2017 10:06:46 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

I will. Tell it to the Russkies who had the T-34s shot out from underneath them by 88mm’s from Tiger Tanks.


42 posted on 01/31/2017 5:00:28 PM PST by jmacusa (Election 2016. The Battle of Midway for The Democrat Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

Really? Were they riding in Shermans. Who were these ‘’scholars’’? The Sherman tank was a piece of junk.


43 posted on 01/31/2017 5:06:16 PM PST by jmacusa (Election 2016. The Battle of Midway for The Democrat Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: tumblindice

The germans called the Shermans “Ronson’’because of the Ronson Cigarette Lighter Companys slogan “Lights up on the first stoke!’. It only took one hit in the engine compartment of a Sherman and it’s gasoline engine caught fire.


44 posted on 01/31/2017 6:13:17 PM PST by jmacusa (Election 2016. The Battle of Midway for The Democrat Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa

In Hunnicut’s case, yes, he actually was riding in and on Shermans.


45 posted on 01/31/2017 6:35:30 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa

Except it wasn’t the engine compartment or the gasoline that caused them to brew up for the most part - considering that a significant percentage of the early Shermans were *diesel* and they went up just as badly. The real problem was the dry ammo storage. The applique armor they used to try to protect the dry ammo didn’t help either as it just gave the Germans better aiming points. The final solution was to go to wet ammo stowage, which put the Sherman’s chances of going on fire, gasoline or not, *lower* than most other tanks of the war.

Something worth mentioning - most German tanks also ran on gasoline. So did pretty much everyone else but the Russians, who chose diesel.


46 posted on 01/31/2017 6:39:42 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: jmacusa

Videos worth watching - tour and talk-round of a Canadian Grizzly, which was an M4A1 made in Canada.

Exterior:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACqzevjK2DQ

Interior:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld8UGWBdU5E


47 posted on 01/31/2017 6:42:21 PM PST by Spktyr (Overwhelmingly superior firepower and the willingness to use it is the only proven peace solution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr
I knew men who fought in Shermans in the 4th. Armored Div. and the 3rd. Armored in WW2. To a man they all said they would have preferred to have been in German tanks.
48 posted on 02/01/2017 3:08:55 AM PST by jmacusa (Election 2016. The Battle of Midway for The Democrat Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: Spktyr

Bfl


49 posted on 02/01/2017 3:33:50 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-49 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson