| Sherman M-50 | |
|---|---|
 M-50 Super Sherman atYad La-Shiryon, Israel. | |
| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Service history | |
| Used by | SeeOperators |
| Wars | Suez Crisis The War Over Water Six-Day War Yom Kippur War Lebanese Civil War 1982 Lebanon War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1954–1955 |
| Produced | 1956–1962 |
| No. built | ~300 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 38 t (37 long tons) |
| Length | 6.15 m (20.2 ft) |
| Width | 2.85 m (9.4 ft) |
| Height | 3.04 m (10.0 ft) |
| Crew | 5 (commander, driver, gunner, loader, assistant driver/bow gunner) |
Main armament | 75 mmCN-75-50 L/61.5 |
Secondary armament | 1× 12.7 mmM2 Browning 2× 7.62 mmM1919 Browning machine gun |
| Engine |
|
| Suspension | VVSS or HVSS |
| Fuel capacity | 606 liters |
Operational range | 300 km (190 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 38–42 km/h (24–26 mph) |
| References | [1] |
| Sherman M-51 | |
|---|---|
 M-51 Super Sherman at Yad La-Shiryon, Israel. | |
| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Service history | |
| Used by | SeeOperators |
| Wars | Six-Day War Yom Kippur War |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1961–1965 |
| No. built | 180 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 40 t (39 long tons) |
| Length | 6.15 m (20.2 ft) |
| Width | 2.42 m (7.9 ft) |
| Height | 2.24 m (7.3 ft) |
| Crew | 5 (commander, driver, gunner, loader, assistant driver/bow gunner) |
Main armament | 105 mmD1508 L/51 |
Secondary armament | 1× 12.7 mmM2 Browning 2× 7.62 mmM1919 Browning machine gun |
| Engine |
|
| Suspension | HVSS |
| Fuel capacity | 606 liters |
Operational range | 300 km (190 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 40 km/h (25 mph) |
| References | [2] |
TheSherman M-50 and theSherman M-51, both often referred to abroad as theSuper Sherman, were modified versions of theAmericanM4 Shermantank that served with theIsrael Defense Forces from the mid-1950s to early 1980s. The M-51 was also referred to as theIsherman (i.e. Israeli Sherman). However, the nicknames "Super Sherman" and "Isherman" were never officially used by the Israeli Defense Forces.
In 1953, an Israeli military delegation visitedFrance to examine the then-newAMX-13/75 light tank, which was armed with the high-velocityCN 75-50 75 mm tank gun. While the tank's main gun was considered satisfactory, its armor was deemed to be too light. Eventually, Israel did purchase the AMX-13, but, in a similar parallel development, it was decided that the 75mm main guns of the AMX-13s Israel bought would be grafted to the more-familiar and the better-armored hull of the AmericanM4 Sherman medium tank, which was the standard tank of the IDF's armored units (a large quantity of post-WWII Sherman tanks ended up in Israeli military service from 1948 onwards) during the period of the early 1950s.[3]
This project started in 1954 and in 1955, a prototype turret was sent from France to Israel.[4] In March 1956,Israeli Ordnance Corps military facilities began to convert (up-gun) their Sherman tanks with 75mm tank guns of AMX-13s bought and received from France.[5] The 75mm tank gun was known in Israel as theM-50 and, as a result, the up-gunned Sherman was designated as theSherman M-50.[4] The M-50 was similar to the WWII-era BritishSherman Firefly tank in that it possessed the original smaller type of Sherman tank turret (as used by US Shermans which carry the original 75mm M3 tank gun) which was fitted with a large counterweight at the turret's rear end to balance the weight of a longer and heavier tank gun.
The first 50 units were based on M4A4 hulls, had aContinental R-975gasoline engine andVVSS suspension. However, the increased weight of the vehicle combined with narrow tracks led to poor off-road mobility. It was also putting too much strain on the engine, resulting in frequent mechanical failures. Consequently, for the rest of the conversions, hulls fitted withHVSS suspension andCummins V-8 460 horsepower (340 kW)diesel engine were adopted.[6] These subvariants were sometimes referred to as theM-50 Continental andM-50 Cummins, orM-50Degem Alef andM-50Degem Bet respectively. Diesel engines were also preferred since diesel fuel is less flammable than gasoline, which factors into battlefield survivability.[7] In total, about 300 M-50s were built by 1964 (though it's possible that this number includes 120 155 mm self-propelled guns on Sherman chassis, also designatedM-50).[5]
This same gun was also fitted to a number ofM10 tank destroyers.[8]
In the 1960s, 180 Sherman tanks received a shortened version of the even more powerful French105 mm Modèle F1 gun. The barrel length of the gun was reduced from 56 caliber to 51[9] and it was equipped with a unique double-bafflemuzzle brake; ammunition was altered to use a smallercartridge. In Israel the gun was designatedM-51 and the tank theSherman M-51. M4A1 hulls and the larger T23 turrets (from76 mm armed Shermans) were used for the conversion. All tanks were fitted with Cummins diesel engines and HVSS suspension. The tank was displayed to the public for the first time during theIndependence Day ceremony in 1965.[10]
Abroad the M-50 was known asSuper Sherman (the "Continental" variant as Mark I and the "Cummins" variant as Mark II) and the M-51 as eitherSuper Sherman,Isherman (i.e.Israeli Sherman) orM4A1 Revalorise. These designations were never used in Israel. The only tank model designated Super Sherman by the IDF was the M4A1 with76 mm M1 gun and HVSS suspension, which was namedSuper Sherman M-1.[5]
The first 25 M-50s were finished just in time forOperation Kadesh – the Israeli 29 October 1956 invasion of the Sinai – against theEgyptian Army[5] (which also employed its own up-gunned version of the M4 Sherman, fitted with the FrenchAMX-13 turret, making it equal to the M-50 in firepower).
In 1964, Israel neared completion of itsNational Water Carrier to divert water from theSea of Galilee as allocated in the multinational 1955Unified (Johnston) Plan. The Arab nations were in uproar, andSyria began a project to divert water intoJordan (theHeadwater Diversion Plan). Maj GeneralIsrael Tal had trained Israeli tank gunners to shoot beyond 1,500 metres (1,600 yd) and, on March 6, 1965, an M-50, commanded by Tal, engaged a Syrianrecoilless rifle that had killed an Israeli tractor driver; Tal personally destroyed the recoilless rifle at long range. A few days later, General Tal, with an M-50 and aCenturion Mk III tank, was waiting for a chance to fire upon the Syrian water diverting project. When Syrian gunners fired on aborder patrol, Tal's M-50 and the Centurion fired on eight tractors 2,000 metres (2,200 yd) away, and destroyed them all in two minutes with 10 shots – Tal destroyed 5 tractors with his M-50's 75 mm gun, and the Centurion destroyed the remainder.[11]
Both the M-50 and M-51 saw combat in theSix-Day War that left the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and the Sinai peninsula in Israeli hands, often fighting againstSovietWorld War II-era armor like theT-34-85 (for example at theBattle of Abu-Ageila). Both were also employed in the 1973Yom Kippur War alongside and against much more modern tanks. The use of such seemingly obsolete tanks was necessary given the desperate nature of the fighting.
In combat against the Arab armies, the M-51 proved itself capable of fighting newer, heavier tanks like the Soviet-builtT-54/55/T-62. The M-51's 105 mm gun could penetrate these adversaries usingHEAT ammunition. The M-51 served well during its time, and is regarded as an excellent example of how an obsolete tank (the Sherman) can be upgraded beyond the limits of its original capabilities.[12]
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The M-50 Continentals were retired by 1972. The M-50 Cummins and M-51 were gradually phased out in late 1970s to early 1980s. During theLebanese Civil War, some 75[clarification needed] M-50s were given as aid to the Israeli-supportedLebanese Christian militias –Kataeb Regulatory Forces (19),[13][14][15][16]Tigers Militia (20),[17][15][18]Guardians of the Cedars (1), theLebanese Forces (40),[17][15][18] and theSouth Lebanon Army (35)[13][19][20] – in 1976; two tanks were captured from the SLA in March 1978 by thePalestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which employed them in the defense ofWest Beirut during theJune 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.[21]
About 100 of theremaining tanks of this model were sold toChile in the late 1980s. Some of those were fitted with the IMI-OTO60 mm Hyper Velocity Medium Support (HVMS) gun, and were often referred to asM-60. This variant was never used by the IDF.[5] Chile used its Shermans until 1999, when they were replaced by theLeopard 1. The few M-51s that Israel retained were converted into engineer vehicles and self-propelled artillery.[12]
Chile – ≈50 M-50 upgraded with the 60 mm IMI-OTO HVMS gun, ≈150 M 51
Israel – M-50, M-51
Lebanese militias – M-50 (Kataeb Regulatory Forces,Lebanese Forces,Tigers Militia,Guardians of the Cedars,South Lebanon Army)
Palestine Liberation Organization – two captured M-50s in Lebanon
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