M-4A3E2 SHERMAN “JUMBO”

In 1944, due to the frequent combats against heavy German tanks, where inferiority of the American Sherman tanks was evident, it was decided to modify some M-4A3 Sherman increasing their armour to allow them to face the Germans in better conditions. Thus was born the M-4A3E2 Sherman assault tank, nicknamed as “Jumbo” by the troops. A new turret was designed with a frontal plate armour of 140mm in thickness, reaching 178mm in the gun’s mantlet. Additional armour was added to the hull, especially in the frontal area, reaching a maximum thickness of 102mm. Unfortunately, the armament continued to be the 75mm gun from previous Sherman models, little effective except at close range. Later, the 75mm gun was replaced by the 76mm M1 gun of some damaged Shermans, but only a few tanks were modified in this way. A total of 254 Jumbo were built and sent quickly to the European Theatre to be integrated within the avant-garde armored attack columns, also known as “spearheads”.

M-4A3E2 JUMBO gallery and more info