Canadian built Sherman M4A1 (75) Medium Tank – Grizzly. The Canadian Sherman has thicker and more sloping armor, more teeth on the driving wheel, 17 instead of the 13 on the American Sherman and it has metal tracks, no rubber needed, which was hard to come by during the war. Photographed at The Tank Museum in Bovington, England 2017.
The Sherman M4A1 Grizzly was a Canadian variant of the iconic M4 Sherman medium tank, modified for use by Canadian forces during World War II. It featured the M4A1’s basic design, including a 75mm M3 gun capable of engaging infantry, anti-tank weapons, and lighter armored vehicles. The Grizzly’s gun was supported by a co-axial .30 caliber Browning M1919 machine gun and another .30 caliber machine gun mounted on the hull.
One notable feature of the Grizzly was its unique hull, based on the M4A1’s cast design rather than the welded hull of the original M4. This was a result of the manufacturing processes used by Canadian industry. Its armor ranged from 38mm to 51mm in thickness, providing reasonable protection against small arms fire and light anti-tank weapons. The tank was powered by a gasoline engine, providing 375 horsepower, which allowed the Grizzly to reach speeds up to 40 km/h (25 mph) and a range of around 160 km (100 miles).
With a combat weight of around 30 tons and a crew of five, the Sherman M4A1 Grizzly was well-suited for the harsh conditions of the Italian and North African campaigns, where it played a crucial role. Approximately 1,000 units were produced between 1942 and 1943.
