Sherman ID Needed

[tankbarrell]

Originally Posted by pzrwest

I phoned the tank museum and inquired about the Sherman in the pictures and they informed me that the Sherman is an M4A3E8. Also called an Easy Eight. He is also going to e-mail me some pics of the undersides of the commanders copula hatch.
As for the barrel of this tank it is one they made up since the barrel was missing, hence the bit on the end of the barrel

I'm afraid the museum is wrong. The E8 designation applied to the later HVSS suspension. That tank is a plain old M4A3(75)W. The tank next to it with the camo paint is an M4A3E8.

You are correct about the applique armour or rather the lack of it. The later, large hatch hulls were usually wet stowage, M4A2 being the exception, a batch of those were built with dry stowage and can be identified by the applique plates over the ammo racks.