Author: Davis Kyle
Hello everyone,
today, we have a short guest article by Davis Kyle about the Indian Sherman modifications. Enjoy!
The Indian Sherman – possible tier 6 premium for World of Tanks?
Most people do not consider India to be a very innovative country for developing tanks, but they would not be entirely correct. India built their own Vickers MBTs (Vickers Vijayanta) and had and has a relatively modern army. However, backing up their front-line Centurions, they had some gun-upgraded Shermans they modified for the Indo-Pakistani Wars, that fit perfectly into the WoT timeframe.
There would be three gun upgrades compared to the regular M4 Sherman, Tier 5 American medium tank in WoT. The French SA49 and SA50 (as seen on the AMX 13-75) and the D56-T gun, found in real life on the PT-76, Soviet amphibious tank.
Both the PT-76 and AMX-13 were very advanced tanks light tanks on the export market, newer than M4 Shermans, but decidedly less common in India. Therefore, they were harder to repair and keep in service. Also, with the (albeit limited) protection and greatly improved reliability the M4′s chassis gave the Indian Army, it was enough to convert some guns to the Shermans to replace the totally outdated 75mm L/40 that most Sherman V’s carried.
Not much is known about the Indian Sherman in combat, however the guns it carried were used to effect. Some unconverted PT-76′s did serve well as reconnaissance and as stopgap measures against light armor. For instance, in the Battle of Garibpur, where 14 PT-76′s took out a much larger force of M24 Chaffees, destroying 12 and capturing three. However, PT-76′s faced steep casualties fighting M48 Pattons, as could be expected.
The Sherman V, what the Indian (Upgunned) Sherman, is based on, was the main export Sherman, used post-war by many armies around the world, it’s US designation being the M4A4. It carried the General Motors 6046 engine (as seen one the M4A2E4 premium Sherman), giving it 420 horsepower. As American factories armed the Truman world, this was the chief export of freedom to coutries in need of battle tanks.
Other modifications to the Sherman V’s included Israeli modifications into SPG, bridgelayers, mortar carriers and the Super Shermans with up to 105mm French guns. The Egyptians also mounted a FL-10 turret on Shermans, a strange sight indeed. However, this article focuses on the modifications made by India.
Of the guns mounted on the Indian Sherman does not currently exist in World of Tanks. It is the D56-T, 76.2mm gun. Here are some of its specifications.
D56-T 76-mm
- rifled gun D-56, 8 Rounds/Minute, Max Effective range: 1060m, Ammunition: HVAP-T/HEAT/HE
Other equipment: same tracks and turret upgrades as the M4, SCR 508 and SCR 528F radios
In World of Tanks
The Indian Sherman would be an interesting tank to drive. Slower, with most handling characteristics equal or poorer compared to its tier 5 equivalent, with slightly better armor. It is not a fast medium compared to some of the competition, like the Cromwell, but is reasonably mobile. It’s stock gun (D-56) would gives decent alpha, muzzle velocity of HVAP and good accuracy and aim time. However, it’s very poor rounds per minute gives it bad DPM. The top gun on the other hand, the SA50, with its RPM improvement (over stock) and better standard ammo penetration, becomes the top gun. I would give the Indian Sherman 730 HP, the same as the much better armored Jumbo.
Sources:
http://www.massimocorner.com/afv/Surviving_Post-WW2_Shermans.pdf
https://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/pt-76.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post%E2%80%93World_War_II_Sherman_tanks#Indian_variants
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lend-Lease_Sherman_tanks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Garibpur
“As US armed the Truman world…”
Wut. Great movie BTW.
The post-war president of the USA, establishing the Truman doctrine, helping to arm all the ‘free countires’ (read: not communist, no matter how fucked up they are), to stop communist influence world wide.
Not before offering crap loads of money to Russia through one of the post-war rebuilding programs. And Russia being Russia refused the money.
“Offering” when it comes to post WWII USA is not very appropriate. “Lending money at crap load interest” is better said.
ROFL
looks awsome like the camo on the 1st pic
Great, exactly what we needed.
More Sherman variants.
And i am not really snark on that….
SS,are T-34 and Pz IV also have other noticeable variants like Sherman?
There are 4 Sherman variants, 5 Pz4 variants and 4 T-34 variants including China and not including subsequent designs like the T43 all currently in game.
Maybe you haven’t played recently?
…5 Pz IV?
And i mostly refer to real-life T-34 or Pz IV. SS once gives us a nice articles about post WW-2 Shermans, like M4-FL10 Turret or that Yugo Sherman with 122mm.
I wonder if at least T-34 have such diverse variant like that.
T-44 or T-43 not really count since there are entirely new vehicle. Dunno about T-34-1, but Type 58 and Type T-34 is just T-34-85 and T-34 getting new name.
go look at test 9.0 there are multiple Pz. IV tanks
3 basic Pz IV, Pz IV Smalturm and Pz IV Hydro.
Well, i confusing it with current situation, since tier 3-4 Pz IV are not out yet and we only have 3 Pz IV gun tank variant for now.
Well, when you got bazillions of Shermans spread all over the world and people using them in their little ponds, you get the perfectly normal evolutionary response – diversification :)
PzIV kinda wasn’t in production after WW2 (yeah, I’m shocked as well, who’d have thought a defeated Germany couldn’t get to export its war material…), so that limits the options a bit.
On second thought, I’m actually assuming that the PzIV were extinct after WW2, but someone with actual data could refute that, naturally…
The PzIV was outclassed by both the T-34 and the Sherman in terms of ease of production and ease of maintenance. Also, the PzIV is quite simply an older tank than those two I named. Germany did get to produce tanks quite fast after WW2, the Soviets were deemed the greater evil from very early on, but tank development moved on, the PzIV was relegated to history. It was the Panther that was the basis for anything new after 1945.
The best example of evolution of the German design after 1945 is reflected by the French tanks.
IIRC pz IV and SuG III were used by Syria in the 6 day war
Yup, there are several Panzer IV’s still lying around the Golan Heights from that war. Judging by the pictures some are in pretty good nick still, though good luck ever getting them out of there for restoration under the ever watchful eye of Israel…
lol paki sherman
That isn’t an appropriate word and is deemed derogatory in the UK.
Also it’s incorrect, these are Indian, not Pakistani Shermans.
The first picture is a captured Pakistani Sherman.
“शेर्मन मार्क ५ : युद्ध तोफ ” on the base means “Sherman Mk.V : War Trophy”
I am just gonna assume, this time, that you are just another ill-informed person and not a racist. But you, of-course, have the complete freedom to prove it otherwise.
Thanks SS for this article.
I don’t expect to see any tank from my nation in the game (since the European Tech tree is relegated to a secondary priority).
But these tanks do fit well as premium machines in the current game.
Nice. A rare article around Indian tanks. Feels good reading about it. Thanks SS.
Btw some titbit regarding what it says under the tank in the first pic.
“Sherman Mark War Canon”.
Funky description.
Padh liya :)
Sherman Mark (Marg I think what they intended), Some parts of the third word is covered, the isible part is “Yudh Top” (War cannon)
This would be awesome to have as a Tier 6 Prem for the American Tech Tree. I welcome more of my lovely Sherman Variants :3
I’ll stick with my Derp……….