Editing M4 Sherman (section)

===Variants===
{{main|M4 Sherman variants}}
[[File:Ronson flame tank Iwo Jima.jpg|thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|USMC]] M4A3 uses its flame thrower during the [[Battle of Iwo Jima]]]]

The Sherman, like its M3 predecessor, was one of the first tanks to feature a gyroscopically stabilized gun and sight. The stabilization was only in the vertical plane; the mechanism could not slew the turret. The stabilizer was sufficient to keep the gun's elevation setting within 1/8th of a degree, or 2 [[thousandth of an inch|mils]], while crossing moderately rough terrain at {{convert|15|mph|km/h}}. This gave a hit probability of 70% on enemy tanks at ranges of {{convert|300|yards|meters}} to {{convert|1200|yards|meters}}.{{sfn|Summers|1945|p= 10–11, 23}} The utility of the stabilization is debatable, with some saying it was useful for its intended purpose, others that it was useful only for using the sights for stabilized viewing on the move.{{sfn|Green |Brown|2007|pp=87–88}} Some operators disabled the stabilizer.{{citation needed|date=March 2014}}

The 75&nbsp;mm gun also had an effective canister round that functioned as a large shotgun. In the close fighting of the French ''[[bocage]]'' of Normandy, the U.S. Army's [[2nd Armored Division (United States)|2nd Armored Division]] tanks used [[Rhino tank|Culin Hedgerow Cutters]] fitted to their tanks to push three tanks together through a hedgerow. The flank tanks would clear the back of the hedgerow on their side with canister rounds while the center tank would engage and suppress known or suspected enemy positions on the next hedgerow. This approach permitted surprisingly fast progress through the very tough and well-defended hedgerows in Normandy. Over 500 sets of these were fitted to US armored vehicles, and many fitted to various British tanks (where they were called "prongs").{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

The 75&nbsp;mm gun had a [[white phosphorus]] shell originally intended for use as an artillery marker to help with targeting. M4 tank crews discovered that the shell could also be used against the Tiger and Panther—when the burning white phosphorus adhered to the German tanks, their excellent optics would be blinded and the acrid smoke would get sucked inside the vehicle, making it difficult or impossible for the crew to breathe. This, and the fear of fire starting or spreading inside the tank, would sometimes cause the crew to abandon the tank.{{sfn|Zaloga|2008|p=182}} There were several recorded instances where white phosphorus shells defeated German tanks in this fashion.{{sfn|Schneider|2004|p=303}}

M4 Shermans armed with the [[M101 howitzer|105&nbsp;mm M4 howitzer]] were employed as a three-vehicle "assault gun" platoon under the tank battalion headquarters company along with another one in each medium tank company (a total of six tanks in the battalion)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.militaryresearch.org/17-25%2018Nov44.pdf|title=T/O&E 17–25 Tank Battalion (18 November 1944)|access-date=18 June 2016|via=www.militaryresearch.org |quote=includes changes to 6 January 1945 |page=2}}</ref> to provide close fire support and smoke. Armored infantry battalions were also eventually issued three of 105&nbsp;mm Shermans in the headquarters company.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.militaryresearch.org/7-25%2015Sep43.pdf|title=T/O&E 7–25 Armored Infantry Battalion (15 September 1943) |quote=includes changes up to 21 November 1944.|access-date=18 June 2016 |via=www.militaryresearch.org |page=2}}</ref><!--Note: The referenced T/O&E is not that of 15 Sep 1943; it is a modified version incorporating the changes made 27 Oct 1943, 7 Jan 1944, Aug 1944, 9 Sep 1944 and 21 Nov 1944. According to Dr Leo Niehorster's website, the Armd Inf was still using the M8 HMC following the Jan 1944 change; he also says that the Tk Btns didn't get 105s until 2 Jul 1944--> The 105&nbsp;mm-armed variants were issued the M67 [[high-explosive anti-tank]] (HEAT) round; although very effective the low muzzle velocity made hitting enemy armor difficult.{{sfn|Moran (1 April 2012) ''US Guns, German Armour, Pt 1''}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Yeide|first=Harry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xVSZX9XTjogC |title=Weapons of the Tankers |date=2006 |publisher=Zenith Imprint |isbn=978-1-61060-778-0|page=93}}</ref>{{sfn|Fletcher|Zaloga|2018|pp=88–89}} The 105&nbsp;mm Shermans were not equipped with a power-traversing turret, and this resulted in complaints from soldiers in the field.{{sfn|Fletcher|Zaloga|2018|p=90}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Moran |first1=Nicholas |title=US Guns, German Armour, Pt 2 |url=https://worldoftanks.com/en/news/chieftain/us-guns-german-armor-part-2/ |website=World of Tanks - The Chieftain's Hatch |publisher=Wargaming.net |date=2 September 2014 |access-date=2021-10-02 |archive-date=2021-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002195443/https://worldoftanks.com/en/news/chieftain/us-guns-german-armor-part-2/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> An upgrade was not available before the end of the war.
[[File:The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939-45 H19582.jpg|thumb|right|The first Sherman delivered to the British Army, showing the three hull mounted .30 machine guns; the pair of fixed weapons were soon deleted.]]