This late war version of the Sherman tank was an improved design produced between October 1944 and May 1945. The M4A1E8 featured the 76mm M1A1 gun (71 rounds) and as secondary weapons it had one .50cal (12.7mm) M2HB Browning machine gun and two .30cal (7.62mm) M1919A4 Browning machine guns. The 33.5ton tank was powered by the Continental R974 C4 9cylinder 400-460hp engine.
The tank had a modified one piece cast hull and a heavier fully-cast turret with a hatch for the loader and commander. To reduce the risk of fires inside the tank it had modified “wet stowage” jacketing for the ammunition racks.
Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS)
Another big improvement was the stronger Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension (HVSS) which gave the tank twice the number of wheels per bogie and the possibility to install wider tracks. The system also allowed for easier wheel replacement without removing the bogie.
