The M4 Sherman (named for the American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman) was the primary tank used by the U.S. during World War II. Tall, fast, versatile, moderately armored, with a sloped glacis and a rounded turret housing a 75mm or 76mm gun, the reliable M4 saw worldwide use in both the Pacific (where it excelled) and the European theaters of the war. It was also widely exported as part of Lend-Lease to the other Allied powers, including Britain , France, and the Soviet Union, amongst others.
During the Cold War, more extensive modifications (such as the fitment of the AMX-13's turret and gun on the M4 chassis by Egypt, and the addition of more powerful engines and a tweaked 105mm F1 gun taken from the AMX-30 by Israel) gave the old design a new lease of life decades after its retirement, proving the tank's capabilities could be expanded much further beyond its original specifications.
