M4A1 (75) with Flame Thrower

July 3, 2011

Today my friend Ken and I met with some other halftrack owners.  After we got some parts for him, we went to see one of the Sherman tank owned by two of the guys.  This was a fun experience for me, it was the second time that I can think of seeing one, and the first time to be inside of one.

This tank is a M4A1 Sherman Tank which has the 75 mm gun replaced with a flame thrower.  The difference between the M4 and M4A1 is that the M4A1 has a cast or rounded hull.  The flame thrower was added in such a way as to replace the main gun barrel so that the enemy could not tell that it was any different from the standard 75mm gun.  The barrel splits in half so that the flame thrower mechanism can be accessed.  The tracks have the duck bill extensions on the inside and outside of the tracks.  That modification added more surface area, so that the tank would be less likely to be bogged down in soft terrain, such as sand.  Over the course of the war it was discovered that the sherman's armor was not thick enough , so additional armor was welded on.  This is called applique armor and it was welded to key points on the hull and turret.  These modifications were done in preparation for the invasion of Japan, since that did not happen the modifications were halted.  This one, like many others, ended up on a target range.

		Duck bill track extentions	Applique armor on the turret	Duck bill track extensions.
				Interior shot of the co-driver area.
Transmission		Dash board box
	Driver's area		Main gun mount.	This is damage in the floor from an overhead anti-tank round that went through the top of the turret.
This is a patch from an anti-tank round that went through the side of the turret.	This is the patch that went through the top of the turret.	These are the radial engines used in the tank. Only one of them is needed, it is always nice to have a spare.
That is me next to the Sherman, maybe one day I will own one.