Re: Sherman tank info available [TANKS]

[Steve Edwards <sedwards-at-awger.net>]

Bart Salmons wrote:

> Wasn;t the 17 lb gun closer to an 82.g mm or some such?

I had always thought so, but 
http://www.answers.com/topic/ordnance-qf-17-pdr (and other sources) 
states different.

> Silly Brits, why do they have to make everything difficult?  

Don't ask me, I'm an American. :-)

> technically if it was on of the Shermans made by Montreal Locomotive 
> Works it would be a "Grizzly" wouldn;t it?

Depends on how "technical" you want to get. In general, most everything 
the US military used had an official letter+number designation, whereas 
the Brits named everything. Take the P-51 "Mustang" for example:

North American (the manufacturer) called the prototype NA-73X, but it 
was built to a British spec (in lieu of NA building P-40s under license 
from Curtis) and was dubbed "Mustang" when accepted.

NA-83 was Mustang Mk.I (RAF)

NA-91 was Mustang Mk.IA (RAF), but many were diverted to USAAF and 
converted to A-36; also converted to F-6 (photo recon); some also 
re-engined with Merlin or V-1650 (proof-of-concept for P-51B)

NA-97 was A-36A Apache (USAAF)
NA-99 was P-51A (USAAF)

NA-102 was P-51B (USAAF) or Mustang Mk.II (RAF); also F-6C
NA-103 was P-51C (USAAF) or Mustang Mk.III (RAF); also F-6C

Only difference between P-51B and P-51C was the factory they came out of.

NA-104 was P-51D (USAAF) or Mustang Mk.IV (RAF); also F-6D

Later, when shipped to Austraila, it became a CA-17 or CA-18 (aka 
Mustang Mk.XX thru XXIII)

All production Mustangs after NA-102 had a V-1650 series engine, which 
was basically a Rolls Royce Merlin built under license by Packard (it 
was almost identical to a Merlin, but not quite). Purists (especially 
Brits) get offended if you call them Merlins.

Point being -- all these were basically the same plane, with changes in 
engine, armament, and cockpit (and minor differences in radio, gunsite, 
etc). So, is it a "P-51" or a "Mustang?" I'd say both are correct.

Same goes for your "Grizzly." It's still an M4, aka "Sherman," even if 
it started life as an A1 and got up-gunned with a 17-pdr, which would 
have made it a "Firefly" in the British Army.

        - Steve "Useless Trivia" Edwards