Sherman Firefly Vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 Free

FREE SHERMAN FIREFLY VS TIGER: NORMANDY 1944 PDF

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. This website uses cookies to provide all of its features. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Enter your email address below to sign up to our General newsletter for updates from Osprey Publishing, Osprey Games and our parent company Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944. Sherman Firefly vs Tiger Normandy Qty: Add to Basket. About this Product. The German Tiger heavy tank was a monster of a machine that dominated the battlefields of Europe. Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 of the most feared weapons of World War II, the Tiger gained an aura of invincibility that was only shattered by the introduction of the Sherman Firefly during the summer of Designed by the Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 to combat the Tiger, the Sherman Firefly was based on the American M4A4 Sherman, but was fitted with a powerful pounder gun which made it a deadly opponent. This book describes the design and development of these two opponents, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, assessing their tactics, weaponry and training. Gunsight artwork puts the reader 'inside' the tanks during famous battle scenarios, in a victory of superior Allied numbers, tactics and engineering. Biographical Note. Dr Stephen A. Stephen lives in Surrey, UK. Jim Laurier attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, and since he graduated with honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. Jim completed all the digital artwork in this volume. Howard Gerrard studied at the Wallasey School of Art, has worked for a number of publishers and is an associate member of the Guild of Aviation Artists. Howard completed the battlescene painting in this volume. You may also be interested in the following product s. More info. Military History. Subscribe to our newsletter. Subscribe To see how we use this information about you and how you can unsubscribe from our newsletter subscriptions, view our Privacy Policy. Related Content. See all related content. Google Books Search. Sherman Firefly Vs Tiger: Normandy – The Tank Museum

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. The German Tiger heavy tank was a monster of a machine that dominated the battlefields of Europe. One of the most feared weapons of World War II, the Tiger gained an aura of invincibility that was only shattered by the introduction of the Sherman Firefly during the summer of Specifically designed by the British to combat the Tiger, the Sherman Firefly was based on th The German Tiger heavy tank was a monster of a machine that dominated the battlefields of Europe. Specifically designed by the British to combat the Tiger, the Sherman Firefly was based on the standard American Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 Sherman medium tank, but was fitted with a powerful pounder gun which made it a deadly opponent for Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 Tiger. This book describes the design and development of these two fierce opponents, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and assessing their tactics, weaponry and training. Innovative gun-sight artwork puts the reader "inside" the tanks during famous real-life battle scenarios, including the infamous Panzer ace Michael Wittman leading four Tigers into battle against eight Fireflies, a clash of steel that was a victory not only for superior Allied numbers, but also for Allied tactics and engineering. Get A Copy. Paperback80 pages. More Details Original Title. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Sherman Firefly vs Tigerplease sign up. Be the first to ask a question about Sherman Firefly vs Tiger. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy Aug 14, Kevin Varney rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fictionosprey-war-kit. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Sherman Firefly was an intriguing stopgap solution: how to stand a chance against the German big cats. I thought the whole episode would make a good old style British war film, although you would have to acknowledge the Germans' superior technology and fighting prowess of the German tank aces. The first part of the film would be the army officer and a tank engineer unofficially trying to mount a 17 pounder on a Sherman, being told to desist by the War Office, getting the order reversed Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 g The Sherman Firefly was an intriguing stopgap solution: how to stand a chance against the German big cats. The first part of the film would be the army officer and a tank engineer unofficially trying to mount a 17 pounder on a Sherman, being told to desist by the War Office, getting the order reversed and getting Churchill's seal of approval. Every British was film has to have Winston Churchill in it. Then the next bit would after the Normandy invasion, with the debacle at Villiers Bocage, where Michael Wittmann destroys about 20 British armoured vehicles almost single-handed in his Tiger tank. Then there'd be a bit where Wittmann is offered a training role but refuses it. In the resulting ambush, humble Firefly gunner Trooper Ekins knocks out three Tigers, and terminates the career of the great tank ace, although nobody knows it at the time. Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 wouldn't end there, because then there is another battle in which a German Panzer IV knocks out about three Shermans, including Ekins', before a flanking movement puts it out of business. The film would end with Trooper Ekin's commanding officer rewarding him for his exploits by assigning him as a radio operator in a replacement tank. The film would be called Firefly. May 20, William Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 rated it liked Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944. Useful comparison of two key tanks of the Second World War. Apr 18, Steven Peterson rated it liked it. Another slender volume in the Osprey Duel series. The subject this time? The beefed up Sherman Firefly versus the famous German Tiger. The standard Sherman was underpowered in terms of its artillery. The Firefly was equipped with a much bigger cannon, serving as a tank destroyer. It was more formidable in combat against Tigers than the mainline Sherman. This book discusses the effectiveness of the Firefly in combat with Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 Tiger tank. The book proceeds by discussing the development of the Another slender volume in the Osprey Duel series. The book proceeds by discussing the development of the two tanks. There are also comparisons between the two, in terms of specifications, shells used, and so on. The information provides a useful basis for understanding the two. After a discussion of other issues, the book culminates with the description of the tank battle of early August in France. A nice addition to the Osprey series. Nov 12, David Cooling rated it liked it. Light read about the development and use of two adversary tanks of World War 2. Informatative to anyone with a passing interest in the conflict in Normandy during ; in particular the events around the death of German track ace Michael Wittman. Aimed at the modelling community. Nov 24, David Bystricky rated it it was amazing. Good reading if you are interested in WWII topics and like to go into the detail. You'll encounter a lot of details about tech specs, tactics and significant battles, as well as pictures and maps. It also gave me a taste to make plastic models of both tanks Tim rated it liked it Nov 27, Michael Dorosh rated it liked it Jul 01, Tony rated it really liked it Nov 05, Gabriel De rated it really liked it Oct 23, Hector Lopez rated it it was amazing Jul 08, Norbert rated it really liked it Oct 03, Jeff rated it liked it Jul 03, Gregg Metternich rated it it was amazing Nov 02, Alexander Fontana rated it liked it Sep 28, Jgr rated Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 it was amazing Mar 11, Dave Coen rated it liked it Jan 25, Colin West rated it really liked it Jun 19, Stephen Coney rated it liked it Mar 11, Ed Gibson Sr. Richard Bednarz rated it really liked it Sep 13, Andrew Waller rated it really liked it May 01, Surfing Moose rated it liked it Sep 30, Yago de Artaza Paramo rated it liked it Nov 14, John rated it really liked it Apr 21, Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 Ferreira Flores rated it really liked it Nov 05, Sara rated it it was amazing Jun 09, Peat rated it really liked it Apr 27, Carl rated it really liked it Jun 11, Isaac Jones rated it really liked it Jul 16, Matt rated it really liked it Sep 11, There are no discussion topics on this book yet. About Stephen A. Sherman Firefly vs Tiger - Osprey Publishing

It was based on the US M4 Shermanbut Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 with the powerful 3-inch Originally conceived as a stopgap until future British tank designs came into service, the Sherman Firefly became the most common vehicle mounting the pounder in the war. During the war, the British Army made extensive use of Sherman tanks. Though they expected to have their own tank models developed soon, the previously rejected idea of mounting the pounder in the existing Sherman was eventually accepted, despite initial government resistance. After the difficult problem of getting such a Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 gun to fit in the Sherman's turret was solved, the Firefly was put into production in earlyin time to equip Field Marshal Montgomery 's 21st Army Group for the Normandy landings. It soon became highly valued, as its gun could almost always penetrate the armour of the Panther and Tiger tanks it faced in Normandy, [2] something no other British Army tank could reliably do at that time. In recognition of this, German tank and anti-tank gun crews were instructed to attack Fireflies first. Between 2, and 2, were manufactured before production wound down in The idea of fitting a pounder gun into a Sherman tank had initially been rejected by the Ministry of Supply 's Tank Decision Board. Although the British Army had made extensive use of the American-built Sherman tank, it was intended that a new generation of British tanks would replace it in the anti-tank role. The second was the A30 Challengerwhich was based on the Cromwell but with Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 even more powerful pounder gun. Nonetheless, several unofficial attempts were made to improve the firepower of the Sherman. Despite the A30 Challenger undergoing initial trials at Lulworth, Brighty was convinced that the Sherman was a better mount for the pounder. However, the turret of the Sherman was too small to allow for the very long recoil of the gun. In a radical adjustment, Brighty removed the recoil system and locked the gun in place, thus forcing the entire tank to absorb the recoil, but this was a far from ideal situation and there was no telling how long the tank would have been able to handle such a set-up. A veteran of the North Africa campaignWitheridge had experienced first-hand the one-sided battles between British tanks armed with 2-pounder guns against Rommel 's formidable tanks and anti-tank guns. During the Battle of Gazala in mid, Witheridge had been blown out of his US supplied M3 Grant medium tankand though he recovered from his wounds, he was declared unfit to return to combat duty. Instead, in Januaryhe was posted to Fort Knox in the United States for six months to advise on gunnery, where he was "sold" on the Sherman tanks. Upon looking up Brighty and learning of his attempts to use the Sherman, Witheridge lent his assistance. In doing so, the endeavour was taken out of the hands of the highly enthusiastic and devoted amateurs at Lulworth who had initiated it and given to professional tank developers. It was W. Kilbourn, a Vickers engineer working for the DTD at the time, who transformed their idea into the reality of the prototype of the tank that would serve the British forces from the invasion of Normandy in June onwards. The first thing Kilbourn had to fix was the lack of a workable recoil system for the pounder. This was too long for the Sherman's turret. The recoil cylinders were shortened and placed on both sides of the gun to take advantage of the width of the turret. The gun breech itself was also rotated 90 degrees to allow loading from the left [note 1] rather than from on top. The next problem encountered by Kilbourn was that the gun cradle, the metal block on which the gun sat, had to be shortened to allow the gun to fit into the Firefly, and thus the gun itself was not very stable. Kilbourn had a new barrel designed for the pounder that had a longer untapered section at the base, which helped solve the stability problem. A new mantlet was designed to house this gun and accept the modified cradle. The modifications were extensive enough that pounders intended for the Firefly had to be factory-built specifically for it. Kilbourn had to deal with other problems. On the standard Sherman tank, there was a single hatch in the turret through which the commander, gunner and loader entered and left the tank. However, the pounder's larger breech and recoil system made it significantly more difficult for the loader to exit quickly if the tank was hit; a new hatch was cut into the top of the turret over Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 gunner's position to resolve this. By October and Novemberenthusiasm began to grow for the project. The 21st Army Group was informed of the new tank in October Even worse, it was discovered that the Cromwell did not have a turret ring wide enough to take the new High Velocity 75mm gun 50 calibres longso it would have to be armed with the general purpose Ordnance QF 75 mm. The nickname "Firefly" was adopted due to the bright muzzle flash of the main gun. During the war, Shermans with pounder guns were usually known as "1C", "1C Hybrid", or "VC", depending on the basic mark of Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 vehicle. In British nomenclature, a "C" at the end of the Roman numeral indicated a tank equipped with the pounder. The name "Firefly" in period sources often refers to any vehicle with a pounder gun, often the 17pdr SP Achilles M10C variant of the M10 tank destroyer. Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 as the successor to the British QF 6-pounderthe pounder was the most powerful British tank gun of the war, and one of the most powerful of any nationality, being able to penetrate more armour than the 8. APDS ammunition was rare until the post-war period. While the Sherman Firefly was capable of carrying 77 rounds of ammunition, design features of the tank meant only 23 rounds were easily and readily available when the tank was in action. Though the pounder had superior anti- tank capabilities, it lacked an effective HE round and was thus inferior to the standard Sherman 75mm gun against soft targets, such as infantry, buildings and lightly armoured vehicles. As the war in Europe neared its close, the Allies found themselves encountering these more often than heavy German tanks. Allied tank units therefore typically refused to completely switch to Fireflies. On top of these issues, the recoil and muzzle blast could be severely jarring to Firefly crews, and the muzzle blast frequently caused night blindness. The latter [ clarification needed ] was a problem common to any tank armed with a high velocity gun, including the Panther and Tiger I. The cramped turret meant that loading the large shell was difficult, so Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 Firefly had a slower rate of fire than a standard M4 Sherman. The Firefly's secondary armament was the standard Browning. A top-mounted Browning M2. The rockets, accurate when fired from aircraft, were less accurate when fired from a stationary platform, such as a tank, as they had little initial slipstream over the fins. The Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 was only effective when its pound warhead hit the target. Some sources state that several Sherman IIs M4A1 were converted and used in action, but photos allegedly showing these conversions are in fact views of the front half of Sherman I Hybrid Fireflies. The Sherman VC and IC variants are easily distinguished by their lower hulls; the VC having a lengthened hull, and a larger gaps between the suspension units. They employed the three-piece bolted transmission housing. The Sherman IC usually sported the cast transmission housing. The Hybrid can be distinguished by its upper hull, which is cast and gives it a distinctive curved look in comparison to the more boxy hull of a typical Sherman. The same distribution occurred in Cromwell units, but this caused logistical problems, as each Cromwell troop then needed to be supplied with parts for two different tanks. The Firefly was also slower than the Cromwell. Churchill units received no Fireflies, and as a result often had to rely on any attached M10 or M10 Achilles units to provide increased firepower to deal with tanks their own guns could not eliminate. In the spring ofproduction of the Firefly was scaled down, with the last tank being delivered in May This was the result of several factors, from superior home-grown designs like the Comet and Centurion coming into service to replace the Firefly, to the impending defeat of Nazi Germany, and the inferior design of Japan's tanks, which it seemed would be the next opponents the British would have to face after the fall of Germany. Overall production of the Sherman Firefly reached some 2, — 2, tanks; exact numbers are hard to determine as documents give contradictory totals. The earliest firefly tanks were in North Africa but new Fireflies were introduced to armoured brigades [note 3] and divisions in the 21st Army Group injust in time for the Normandy landings. The timing was fortunate as Allied intelligence had begun to realise Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 early through statistical analysis that the Germans were fielding a much larger number of more formidable tanks such as the Panther than had been anticipated. This information Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 slow to reach Allied military planners, who had mistakenly assumed the Panther, like the Tiger, would be a rare heavy tank with a limited production run, so the number of Panthers deployed came as a surprise to Allied formation commanders and tank crews forced to engage them with guns that could not penetrate the frontal armour except at short range. Ken Tout, who served as a tank gunner and tank commander in the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry in Normandy indescribed the effect of mounting a pounder in the Sherman:. The Firefly tank is an ordinary Sherman but, in order to accommodate the immense breech of the pounder and to Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 its massive shells, the co-driver has been eliminated and his little den has been used as storage space. The flash is so brilliant that both gunner and commander need to blink at the moment of firing. Otherwise they will be blinded for so long that they will not see the shot hit Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 target. The muzzle flash spurts out so much flame that, after a shot or two, the hedge or undergrowth in front of the tank is likely to start burning. When moving, the gun's overlap in front or, if traversed, to the side is so long that driver, gunner and commander have to be constantly alert to avoid wrapping the barrel around some apparently distant tree, defenceless lamp-post or inoffensive house. Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 a result, the Sherman Firefly was perhaps the most valued tank by British and Commonwealth commanders, as it was the only tank in the British Army able to reliably penetrate the frontal armour of Panthers and Tigers at the standard combat ranges in Normandy. This fact did not go unnoticed by the Germans, who realised that these long-barrel Shermans posed a much greater threat to their heavy tanks than the normal Shermans, and German tank crews and anti-tank gun crews were instructed to eliminate Fireflies first. Another suggestion was for a shorter wooden dummy gun to be mounted on the rear of the turret and point forward; however, this tactic does not appear to have been used in combat. Despite being a high priority target, Fireflies appear to have had a statistically lower chance of being knocked out than standard Shermans, probably due more to how they were employed than to the actual Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 of the attempted camouflaging of the long barrel. During the battle, Fireflies would stay behind in those positions and cover the ordinary Shermans as they pushed forward, eliminating any enemy tanks that revealed themselves when they opened fire on the advancing Shermans, Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 moving forward only when the standard Shermans had secured the area or when they could no longer cover them. Similarly, when on the move, troop commanders tended to position Fireflies in the rear to reduce the chance of their being knocked out. However, given the relatively unpredictable nature of battle, this setup was not always practical or possible, and many times, Fireflies were forced to engage enemies in the open, where they could be identified. Despite this, the Firefly's increased firepower was much valued, and during many engagements, the Firefly proved its worth, knocking out Tigers and Panthers at long range, as well as less formidable tanks like the Panzer IVs and StuGs. One example of this increased firepower was displayed by Lt. Determined to capture the town in preparation for a larger offensive to drive the British Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 Canadians back into the sea, Kurt Meyer ordered 12 Panthers of the 3rd Company and infantry to attack Norrey and drive the Canadians out of the town. The attack got under way at hours, with the Panthers racing towards the town at full speed, stopping only to fire their guns. However, they quickly outran their infantry support, which was forced to ground by Allied artillery fire. Henry's gunner, Trooper A. Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944, waited until the Panthers "lined up like ducks in a row" and quickly knocked out five Panthers with just six rounds. The attack Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 repulsed with the loss of seven of the 12 Panthers. A similar example occurred on 14 June, during Operation Perch. Looking through his binoculars, Sgt. Harris spotted two Panthers advancing from the east. Relocating to a well-concealed flanking position on the other side of the Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944, he spotted another three Panthers approaching from the west. He and his gunner, Trooper Mackillop, eliminated them with just three rounds. In perhaps their most famous action, British and Canadian Fireflies defeated the heavy armour of a German counterattack at Saint-Aignan-de- Cramesnil during Operation Totalize on 8 Augustresulting in the destruction of five Tiger tanks and the death of the attack's leader, the noted German tank commander Michael Wittmann. They held their fire until the German tanks were well within range. A Squadron less Sgt Gordon who had been wounded and had already bailed out of the Firefly moved over to support them and in the resulting combat, Ekins destroyed a Panzer IV before his tank was hit and the crew were forced to bail out. Although the Normandy campaign had priority, Fireflies also served with distinction Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 British, Commonwealth and Polish units in the Italian campaign. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Type of Medium tank.