World War 2 M4 Sherman Tanks

by QuitStalinMan

I’ve always wondered why exactly the M4 Sherman’s had a tendency to burst into flames once hit by enemy tank shells. Hopefully, I can find some empirical data/information from you guys!

Was it due to the shell type of say the Panzer III’s (Like a high-velocity armour piercing) or maybe the poor stowage of shells in the M4 Sherman? From what I can theorize, it was due to the friction caused upon penetration, coupled with the poor stowage of the ammunition, is this correct?

I found an answer on Quora but I’m a bit hesitant to let that be the end-all to my inquiry.

Thanks to those who answer! 😄

DanKensington

Sherman's 'tendency to burst into flames' is not particularly notable when stacked up against other tanks of the time. Here's some previous posts on the matter of Sherman:

a now-deleted user observes several Sherman myths;
u/the_howling_cow engages with six Sherman myths, with its burn rate being the second one;
u/The_Chieftain_WG adds some extra to the post that BRIStoneman linked;
and also addresses burning tanks in general in WW2.

And as ever, if anyone would like to add more information, please don't let this linkdrop stop you! More posts are always welcome.

BRIStoneman

Early Shermans tended to burn when hit because of the location of their ammo stowage, but weren't particularly extra-flammable when compared to their contemporaries.

Here is an excellent post by /u/TheHIV123 on the subject.