Re: Sherman tank engines

Frogwatch wrote:
On Oct 9, 6:19 pm, "TMOliver" <tmoliverjr...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"Frogwatch" <dboh...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:1191963559.463848.173770@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I have a friend who rebuilt a Stearman bi-plane. When I first saw it,
there was no resemblance to an airplane, just twisted framing. When
he finished a couple years later, it was stunning. He told me that
the engine was his biggest problem because it didnt have one when he
got the wreck. He showed me two engines he bought for it (one to
rebuild and one for parts) and told me that these aircooled engines
had been used on a tank, maybe a Sherman. Is this possible? He had
to have a new driveshaft made for the direct prop drive.
Various models and marks of the Sherman came with a variety of power plants,
all the way from coupled Cadillac's to Wright Whirlwinds radial air cooled
a/c engines to diesels.

The "reliability" issue for Shermans in Soviet service is in legend if not
truth related to MTBF transmission mileage, quite significant in a force not
extensively equipped with ARVs and service troops with shop facilities.

TMO

I'd just assumed most tanks were diesel. Were Shermans death traps
when hit?


The only nation to use diesels in WWII were the Soviets.
Most tanks were death traps; the Shermans were the only tanks to come up with a solution - wet storage of ammo.

The Sherman was designed, as were most early war tanks, as PART of a coordinated force of specialty vehicles. Field experience (lacking in US) dictated an all-purpose vehicle, which the Sherman became when it was upgunned. The US failed to field a heavy tank to complement it until too late, though the Pershing and the Super Pershing were quite good, if too late.

Dan
.

Relevant Pages

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