Calliope is a United States Artillery unit.
Overview[ | ]
The ubiquitous M4 Sherman medium tank evolved from the M3 Lee medium tank pressed into service as a stop-gap model in 1941. Designed by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department, the tank built upon proven technologies developed for American tanks of the 1930s, combining them with British experiences in tank design. The result was a versatile, reliable, and cheap tank much like the Soviet T-34.
The M4 entered service in late 1942, outperforming its older sibling in every aspect, the Sherman went on to become one of the most widely produced armored fighting vehicles of World War II. It was well armored, relatively fast, and cheap to produce, becoming the backbone of Allied armored divisions across the world and a major element of the Lend-Lease program for the Soviet Union. Nearly 50 000 tanks were produced before production ended in 1945 and were used across the world.
The M4A3(75)W sub-designation indicates the mainstay of the U.S. Army, an M4 Sherman model with a new Ford GAA V-8 engine, a welded hull, and the M3 75mm gun. These were only built by Fisher Body with 2420 units build. These tank were the last Sherman designed to carry the 75mm cannon.
The Calliope designation identifies a Sherman with a 60 tube T34 multiple launcher system utilizing the M8 rocket. The rocket itself was developed in the 1940s at Picatinny Arsenal and entered service in 1943. The M8 was designated as a barrage rocket due to its low accuracy, and thus fired in large volleys from MLRS, becoming the first of Allied grid erasers.
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