Posted: Aug 23, 2012 3:32 pm
Rome Existed wrote:The US though had a large industrial base so it's not like they'd be able to build 50k Shermans but only 800 heavies.
The Americans could probably do whatever they turned their mind to at that stage. The same discussions tend to rage about why they never produced an answer to the German MG42. The answer is roughly the same : because the Browning did a good enough job, so don't upset the system and just keep churning them out.
The T-34 though was upgraded with a powerful gun, the Sherman never was.
Yes it was, from february 1944 on it was fitted with the M1 76mm tank gun, which was comparable in performance to the Soviet 85mm and the British 17 pounder (which as someone has already mentioned was fitted on Shermans delivered to the Brits to make the Firefly).
An end of war M4A3E8 is quite a different proposition from the M4A1, these puppies could give Tigers and the like a real run for their money.
Some were also fitted with 105mm Howitzers for infantry support. These things could fire shaped charge shells that would also ruin your day regardless of how many inches of rolled steel you were encased in.