Swedish Sherman tanks

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Stellan Bojerud (RIP)

After WW 2 Sweden bought a few Sherman tanks. I think there was a platoon of four used for trials in the early 1950-ies.

Anyhow one was in 1958 rebuilt as a test rig for the notorious turretless S "tank".

Could anybody tell what type of Sherman this could have been?

Further to the initial post of Stellan (who sadly passed away in the meantime):

After the testing and evaluation, one Firefly was scrapped and the other one was converted in 1958 to serve as a test rig for the Swedish turretless Stridsvagn 103 (Strv 103) or "S-tank".

During 1958 and 1959, a series of tests were made for evaluating the plausibility of the S-tank concept. The Sherman VC was one of two tank chassis fitted with equipment for testing if a fixed gun could be aimed accurately using the tank's controlled differential steering. The result of the testing was positive and development of the S-tank continued.

Sometime after the tests were concluded, this Sherman was put back in its original configuration as a Firefly and it currently preserved at the Swedish Tank Museum.

scan10469.jpg shermanrigg-1web.jpg shermanrigg-2web.jpg Sherman VC Arsenalen.jpg

Source: http://www.ointres.se/strv_103.htm and http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/08/13/s...ank-1956-1961/

[Jakko Westerbeke]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Attachment 129492

Based on that photo, I think the tank in this photo you posted:

63546EB2-5A36-4548-98CA-2BC84ABD3987.jpeg

is not the one in the museum, because the damage to the appliqué plates is not present in the photo above. It could be the Swedes subjected it to some kind of firing trials, of course, but this seems more like minor wartime damage to me.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

I would agree with you Jakko, but it turns out there is some confusion on the types of Sherman tanks delivered to Sweden.

This source http://tanks.mod16.org/2016/09/30/sw...f-the-sherman/ states: “first one M4A2 and one M4A4 without weapons, then a Firefly with the Continental radial engine and one M4 with the 10,5 cm howitzer", which differs a lot from the list made by Stefan Karlsson of the Swedish Tank Museum. He commented “The 4th tank that was scrapped early 1950's? was probably an M4A4 since we still have a spare Multibank engine. Probably lifted out to be spare engine for the Firefly. But if this 4th Sherman was a Firefly or not I can not say at the moment.”
Currently research is under way to find out more details. It would be great if we could contribute to that.