The M4 Sherman was an American medium tank from the Second World War. The first prototypes were built in 1941, and serial production was carried out in the period 1942-1945. In total, about 49,000 copies of this tank of all versions were created, which makes it one of the most produced tanks of the Second World War and the most important tank in the equipment of the Allied armies during this conflict. The M4 Sherman was powered by a single engine version of the M4A1 Continental R 975 C4 with a power of 400 hp . The vehicle was armed with - depending on the version - a single 75mm M3 cannon or a 76mm M1 cannon or a 105mm M4 howitzer and two 7.62mm Browning1919A machine guns.
The M4 Sherman was developed as the successor to the M2 and M3 tanks, although it used many of the latter's components. First of all, it only used a slightly changed chassis of the M3 Lee car. When designing the M4 Sherman, the emphasis was primarily on playing the role of an infantry support vehicle, and not fighting enemy tanks - this was the role of American tank destroyers. Only possible clashes with the carts were assumed Pz.Kpfw III and Pz.Kpfw IV. A significant role was also played in the mass production of the new tank and the lowest possible production costs. The result was a tank with good armament for 1942 and early 1943, average armour, but with a tilted front plate, but also with poor manoeuvrability and - especially in the first versions - very susceptible to fire as a result of hitting the engine compartment . At the same time, however, a tank was created that could be truly large-scale production and had a significant modernization potential. Many development versions were created in the course of serial production M4 Sherman. Chronologically the first was the M4A1 version that already had a cast armor. Another - M4A2 - had welded armor and a new General Motors 6460 engine with 375-410hp, but much less prone to fire. A version of the M4A3 also appeared, armed with a 105 mm howitzer and powered by a Ford GAA engine with a capacity of 450 HP. Based on the M4A3 version, two sub-versions were created: the M4A3E2 Jumbo with reinforced armor and the M4A3E8 with the HVSS and 76mm gun. An interesting development version was also the T34 Calliope with mounted missiles not guided on the turret. The M4 Sherman was also supplied in huge numbers to the British and Red Army. The former developed a version of the Firefly based on it, with a great 17-pounder anti-tank gun. During World War II, M4 Sherman tanks fought in North Africa (1942-1943), Italy (1943-1945), during the battles in Normandy, France and West Germany (1944-1945), but also in the Pacific or in the ranks The Red Army on the Eastern Front. After World War II, the M4 Sherman was used in many countries, including Argentina, Belgium, India, Israel, Japan, Pakistan and Turkey. He also took part in many post-1945 conflicts, including the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Six-Day War of 1967.
The 2nd Panzer Division (French 2e Division Blindee), commonly known as "Division Leclerc", is a French armoured unit that was formed in August 1943 and was disbanded in March 1946. Its soldiers belonged to the so-called Free French of General de Gaulle, and the organizer of the division and its commander was General Phillipe Marie Leclerc. Of course, the common name of the division comes from the name of its commander. The genesis of the unit dates back to the end of the campaign in North Africa, when the 2nd Free French Division was formed on the orders of General de Gaulle, which in August 1943 was transferred to Morocco and transformed into the 2nd Panzer Division. The Americans took on the training and weapons of the division. The full-time division consisted of approximately 14,500 soldiers. It included, among others: three armoured regiments, a motorized infantry regiment and an anti-tank artillery regiment. Initially, the division was stationed in Morocco, but in April 1944 it was transferred to Great Britain. It began its combat route at the beginning of August 1944 with fighting in Normandy, during the Battle of Falaise. Committing an act of insubordination, General Leclerc came to the aid of the Paris insurgents and pushed a large part of the division towards Paris. Later in the campaign, the 2nd Panzer Division fought in Alsace and Lorraine, and later in West Germany. It ended its combat trail in Berghof and Berchtesgaden in Bavaria. In 1946, the unit was disbanded, but during the Cold War it was reactivated again, remaining under this name in the line until 1999. Its traditions are now continued by the 2nd Armoured Brigade.
