M4A1(76mm)W

[Lucky13]

After getting this, anyone who knows how it was distributed among which tank battalions? As I understand it saw combat from Normandy but never any in Italy, right?

[Matt308]

Who cares. You won't grace us with an awesome Lucky13 build of it anyway.

[Matt308]

Honestly don't know, my friend. That is one hell of a kit though. I'm jealous.

[Airframes]

Does look like a nice kit, but by the time Jan gets it built, it'll be just in time for the 75th Anniversary of the Normandy Campaign !
I'll have a look in my refs and see if I can find anything old chap!

[vikingBerserker]

I can find tons of stuff on the M4A1(76mm), but having a heck of a time finding it on the model with the W at the end.

[Lucky13]

Don't know what the 'W' stands for.....

[vikingBerserker]

It stood for Wet Storage. Apparently the ammo was stored in a mixture of 2 liquids which I cannot remember what they were. I have a book that mentions just before Operation Cobra, 102 M4A1 (76mm) were shipped from England to France with half going to the 2nd and the other half going to the 3rd Armored Divisions - but again it does not mention the W at all.

[Lucky13]

Cheers mate! Need to look more into these me think, the Operation Cobra to begin with and take it from there....
2AD and 3AD, eh?

[vikingBerserker]

Yes, I got the info from Osprey's M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-1965 pages 16 & 17.

More data about the Wet Storage. The ammo was stored in a mixture of water and glycerine held in the outer hollow casing. The purpose was to help prevent fires

[Lucky13]

Cheers pal!

[Airframes]

Haven't checked any refs yet, but 'Wet Storage' became very common, even up to and including the last Chieftains in service with the British forces in the late 1980's. It was basically a 'rack' divided into tubes for each round or charge, with an outer casing surrounding it containing mostly water, but with a glycerine or Glycol additive for cold weather protection etc.
The idea was to minimise sympathetic detonation of stored ammo in the event of a hit and/or fire.( On 'Chieftain', there were two lots - one side for the round, and one side for the charge, the latter just in 'bins'. The gun on this tank used a 'bagged' charge!)
Far as I know, the 'W' was eventually dropped, as all were converted, or subsequently produced, as Wet storage.
As far as a model is concerned, even if the interior was visible, there would be little to show WS. There might of course be external detail differences, which I'll check on - hmm, a different sized nut here or there?!!

[Airframes]

Yep, all of the 3,426 M4A1(76) built had wet storage, as did later Shermans from that time (off the production line).
It could have been in service earlier, but the US Forces were reticent, it being a new and untried weapon, compared to the 'known' 75mm gun. Even as late as June 11th 1944, trials were still underway with the US Army in Britain.
When it was found that the serving Shermans, with the exception of the British-converted VC 'Firefly', were out-gunned, poorly armoured and outmanouvered by the German tanks, particularly the Panther, and later the Tiger, an urgent need for a more competitive gun was soon realised. The US had reservations about having a British solution, in the form of the 17 pdr on the 'Firefly', so took the M4A1(76). This allowed almost equal firepower, although not to the level of the Firefly, but manouverability and armour still did not allow parity with the German tanks, the main advantage coming from weight of numbers (of the Shermans) and a faster turret traverse than the opposition.
Forgot to add, later production versions of the M4A1(76) also had HVSS.

[Lucky13]

Much obliged young man! I take it that these were somewhat common at the time of the 'Bulge' then, or?

[vikingBerserker]

Nice, you have a proven solution (ie 17 pdr) but decide to reinvent the wheel. I'm sure the guys on the ground with the 75mm where glad they waited. Anywho......

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I would say there were common. At the begining of the Bulge The M4 (76mm) had the following production numbers (Page 11):

M4A1........ 2,171
M4A2.........1,594
M4A3.........1,925
M4A3E8.....1,445
Tot...........7,135

A better indication is form Page 21:
M4 76.JPG
The only issue with this chart is all the M4 76mm's are combined.

[Lucky13]

Awseome mate, thanks!! Trying to find a suitable subject for this one....