Sherman Tanks of the Red Army

By A Mystery Man Writer

When the words “Sherman tank” are uttered, the first thing that comes to mind for many of us in the US, is Patton’s 3rd Army fighting German Tiger tanks in Northern Africa or his columns of armor racing through Europe after D-Day. The Sherman tank played a role much broader than this and Samsonov has done a very good job explaining the Soviet introduction to, evaluation of, and eventual combat use of the Sherman. Like any good book, this one gets you thinking beyond generalities. I, for one, was surprised that there was feedback and even some pushback from recipients of armor under the Lend Lease Act. Evidently more than a few people who were fighting back against Germany were not thinking that something is better than nothing. To my surprise, I discovered that the Sherman tank underwent significantly more extended trials by our allies than I had ever imagined, and rightfully so.