Sherman Tanks during Maneuvers

M4A3 Sherman tanks moving through a wooded area during maneuvers. Because most served as training vehicles in the US during World War II, Ford M4A3s have survived in greater numbers than other 1942-43 production Shermans (about 80 units). The M4A3s in the photo above appear to be "as built," which was usually the case with Shermans in the US. The "padded" hull lifting rings combined with the vertical headlamp plug holders, suggest a production date between November 1942 and January 1943. There was a critical shortage of rubber at the time, and Ford was contracted to produce the particular type of "three bar cleat" steel tracks that can be seen on these tanks. The above Signal Corps photo is part of a color series unfortunately captioned "desert maneuvers, USA, 1944." The fall foliage seems inappropriate for the desert, as does the year. Tracing their movements, we think it is more likely that this series shows units of the 10th and 81st Tank Battalions, 5th Armored Division at Pine Camp, New York in the Fall of 1943.

Source :
https://historylink101.com/ww2_color/WorldWarIITanks/PICT0515.html
http://the.shadock.free.fr/sherman_minutia/manufacturer/m4a3ford/m4a3ford_variants.html

U.S. Tank Men Enjoying Italian Grapes

 

Three battle-wearied tank men enjoy Italian grapes in the vicinity of Fauglia, Italy, August 21, 1944. The trio are, left to right, Corporal Jerome J. Lackman, Private First Class Everett L. Idell, and Sergeantt Peter DeWispelaere of the U.S. First Tank Battalion, First Armored Division, Fifth Army.

Source :
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/three-battle-wearied-tank-men-enjoy-italian-grapes-in-the-news-photo/176655161

M-8 Greyhound before Boarding an LST

 

U.S. M-8 Greyhound tanks of the 36th Division of the 5th Army lined up just before boarding an LST (Landing Ship, Tank) at a port of embarkation in Italy, 1944. Men in the front vehicle are: Bottom, left to right: Private Carl Rowens and Private Roy P. Thrasher; Top left to right: Private Nicholas J. Saviano and Private Frank E. Sherman. It is the full dope on the Ford Motor Company's M8 Greyhound Armored Car as it was presented to the olive-clad readers of YANK MAGAZINE in the summer of 1944: "Armored Car, M8, 6x6: the Army's latest combat vehicle, is a six-wheeled, eight-ton armored job that can hit high speeds over practically any type of terrain. It mounts a 37-mm cannon and a .30-caliber machine gun in a hand-operated traversable turret..." Although the M8 was originally envisioned as a tank killer, it was soon understood that its 37 mm gun was not up to the job. It first saw combat in 1943 in both theaters.

Source :
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/greyhound-tanks-of-the-36th-division-of-the-5th-army-lined-news-photo/103354634
http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/article-summary/M8_Greyhound_Armored_Car_of_WW2#.YN2pJX4xXcs

Sherman Tanks Unloads from LST

Hit the beach! US Army M4A1 Sherman medium tanks unloads from a Navy LST (Landing Ship Tank) during a stateside training exercise. These vessels could carry a number of the M4 Sherman tanks, or a variety of other personnel and equipment. Massive landing craft filles to the gunnels with troops and equipment came into their own during the war as the spear point for amphibious invasion in the Pacific, the Mediterranean and in Europe. The tank is obviously new to the theatre. Soon the crew of this tank will have festooned their vehicle with a variety of things to improve their living conditions and chances of survival.

Source :
Book "Patton's Third Army" by Christopher J. Anderson 
https://pacificparatrooper.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/004-615x800.jpg

Sherman Guarding a Roadblock in Livorno

A rare color photo of an early production M4A1 Sherman of B Company's 3rd Platoon (752nd Tank Battalion) guarding a roadblock in Livorno, most likely taken on 22 July 1944, several days after Livorno was secured.  This is a shot that was staged by the photographer for the enjoyment of the folks back home.  Originally labeled as simply "on the road to Pisa." Some historians and enthusiasts once believed this was taken in Ponsacco, but the 752 was nowhere near Ponsacco. It is now confirmed that the location is in front of the Villa Bertocchini in downtown Livorno.  The once beautiful Villa Bertocchini survived the war, only to be torn down and replaced with an ugly apartment complex. This tank belonged to Sergeant Ray Holt (the father of Bob Holt, 752nd Tank Battalion historian), who is show in the tank commander's position manning the .50 machine gun. The photo is another staged action shot in the 22 July series of at least 4 colored photos (the other two photos have not yet surfaced). Both photos have been incorrectly labeled as 1st Armored Division tanks in various books and websites. However, the original photo caption in the National Archives, the markings on the tank, the historical facts, and the unmistakable identities of the 752nd men clearly indicate this is a 752nd tank

Source :
http://www.752tank.com/toarno.html

Sherman Tank in the Streets of Livorno

An American mid-production M4A1 "Sherman" tank from 3rd Platoon / B Company / 752nd Tank Battalion on one of the streets of the Italian city of Livorno, a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy, July 1944. This is another staged action shot in the 22 July series of at least 4 colored photos (the other two photos have not yet surfaced). The rubble on the left side was placed there to designate the beginning of the "Zona Nera" (Black Zone), a heavily mined industrial district that civilians were forbidden to enter. The location is one block away from another photo that was taken in the same sequence, and Villa Bertocchini is the light colored building in the background. Both photos have been incorrectly labeled as 1st Armored Division tanks in various books and websites. However, the original photo caption in the National Archives, the markings on the tank, the historical facts, and the unmistakable identities of the 752nd men clearly indicate this is a 752nd tank. The men of the 752nd Tank Battalion distinguished themselves in some of the most difficult combat in the Italian Campaign. They recorded the highest number of consecutive combat days for any battalion in the entire Fifth Army (341), and became the only independent tank battalion in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations to receive the Presidential Unit Citation!

Sources :
http://www.752tank.com/toarno.html
http://www.ww2incolor.com/us-armor/aPisa+tank.html