Dear all. Did the idf use the M4A3 (76) W sherman? If so would you please share a y picture to have as a reference? Thanks in avance.
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In the early days they used pretty much any Sherman that they could get ahold of
This M50 looks to use the hull from either an M4A3 or M4 105mm
These two are using large hatch M4A3 hulls, but one curiously has an old M34 narrow
mantlet
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Most of the earliest Shermans the IDF had were based on M4/105s. They got a lot of them with demilitarized 105 guns and fitted them with 75mm guns scrounged from all over. If you see top views of them you can see from the fit out they are 105 turrets.
But after the initial reluctance to sell them arms past they did purchase almost any Sherman they could get, so M4A3 76 mm would have been used. It’s just that most of the tanks they got were from countries that didn’t receive many and had mostly M4A1 and M4A4 which were more common in lend lease.
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Thanks for your answers. I Wonder if I can build this kit (out of the box) as a idf super sherman
What modifications should I make?
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Probably except the the IDF converted all there non M50/M51 (which were diesel) to R975 Radial engines for ease of maintenance. So you would have to change the rear deck and exhaust area to that of a late M4/M4A1. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a M4A3 but I have definitely seen M4A2s. Israel captured a lot of those from Egypt
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From the Sherman Minutia page: known IDF Shermans:
- SN 1821 M50 ALCO (made no M4A3) Shadmot Mahola, Israel
- SN 12203 M32B3 TRV 3054358 Latrun, Israel
- SN 17622 M4A4 FL-10 turret Latrun, Israel
- SN 17997 M4A4 Crab Latrun, Israel
- SN 19731 M4A4 converted to MAR-290 Latrun, Israel
- SN 21064 M4A4 rebuilt w/ M4A2 diesel Latrun, Israel
- SN 21907 M4A4 (M50) now in USA
- SN 56995 M4(105) Latrun, Israel
- SN 57577 M4(105) Latrun, Israel (now a target tank)
Nearly all IDF conversions were former French M4A2. The M50 were started with CORSE, a French M4A3 mounting a French version of the 7,5cm German KwK. AFAIK, no M4A3(76)w made it to the IDF.
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There are extant M-51 Super Sherman kits. These include Academy, Italseldi. The later Academy kits (circa 2020) are well-manufactured and kitted.
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Sadly this isn’t one of them! Academy reboxed it in 2020, but it’s the same old sprues. There are issues with the over-large muzzle brake, the side stowage boxes are not the right sizes, and the hull has a “flaky pastry” texture to it. I built it some years ago and the only way to get the two-part barrel straight was to clamp it around some brass tube. I’d go with the Tamiya M51.
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I would love to be proven wrong but I have not seen any evidence or reference of an IDF M4A3 (76) Sherman, especially an E8. So you cannot get an IDF vehicle from the RFM kit.
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I quite agree. There’s no evidence (as opposed to legends) that such a thing occurred.
The M4A3 was the US Army’s Medium Tank of choice until post-Korea. It’s not only undocumented, but unlikely any were sold to the Israelis.
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Thanks for your answers and suggestions.
Regards
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