“I bet the machine gun was really loud inside, too.”Īlthough much smaller than today’s modern M-1 tank, the Sherman’s interior compartment is about the same size because the M-1 carries more ammunition and is heavily loaded with computerized equipment, Steele said. “They really rocked when the main gun fired,” Steele said. The Sherman had a five-man crew – commander, gunner, loader, driver and co-driver who also fired a forward facing 30-caliber machine gun. Steele said German Tiger and Panther tanks used during World War II were bigger and more powerful while Shermans were lighter, important for getting them overseas, more maneuverable and could fire more rapidly. “We stripped it right down to bare metal,” Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robin Steele said.įirst, an apoxy primer was applied to seal the metal and prevent rust, followed by a chemical agent resistant coating – an outer paint, in standard army green coloring. Two years ago, it was taken to Fort Drum where soldiers painstakingly restored it to its original condition. The tank was previously located in Carthage, Jefferson County, before coming to the military museum where it sat outside in storage for nearly a decade. ![]() ![]() “It’s awesome that it’s sitting here and I had something to do with it,” said National Guardsman Jonathan Bishop, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ![]() This particular M4A3 tank’s history isn’t known, but ones like it were used in Italy and Central Europe including some of World War II’s most decisive engagements including D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. The 30-ton weapon is on permanent display after being worked on by soldiers at Fort Drum. SARATOGA SPRINGS > The biggest, heaviest armament in the New York State Military Museum’s collection rolled into place Tuesday with the arrival of a newly-restored World War II-era “Sherman” tank.
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