Army Signal Corps photo
from Jim MacClay, Web Staff
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Spearhead Sherman in Central Germany
passing a destroyed Panzer Mark 4, in Town of Marienburg

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Comments by Dan Fong, Web Staff:

The above M4A1 Sherman with 75mm gun has been "up-armored" by welding on a couple pieces of steel plate to the front slope. By 1945 it was common knowledge, even to the higher command, that the M4 series was badly under armored. The above particular arrangement seems to have been a division-wide effort by the 3AD in 1945. Signal Corps photos show similar arrangements on other M4's and the M26 Pershing.

The above German tank is a Panzerkampfwagon 4, Ausfrung J (in English: Mark 4, model J). The Mark 4 was the most numerous German tank and was the standard medium tank of the German army from 1943 though 1945. During the fighting in France and Germany of 1944-45, the German tank divisions had one Panzer Regiment consisting of two Panzer Battalions. One Battalion would be equipped with the Panzer 4 and the other with the Panther. That would be around 100 tanks total in a Panzer Division.

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