The M-3 Grant was rushed into production before the United States had mastered turrant technology. Developing effective tanks was a different matter. This far exceeded the capacity of the Germans. The United States had, however, the industrial capacity to mass produce tanks in huge quantities, not only for its army, but for allies as well. The Americans were far behind the Germans and other Europeans in tank technology. Less easily replaced were the 5-man crews which paid a heavy price for America's refusal to adequately fund its Army and weapons reaserach during the inter-War era. American factories easily replaced the Shermans destroyed by the Germans. Even Hitler had to order a full retreat from France. The Germans with small numbers of slower tanks and without air cover, had no way of stopping them. Once the Americans broke out from Normandy at St Lo (July 25-31), the American armored divisions with their fast, mobile Shermans fanned out behind German lines in great numbers. The German tanks by this phase of the War were being used essentually as mobile pill boxes. Still it helped liberate France, although at a considerable cost. It proved to be reliable and mobile, but badly outclassed by German medium and heavy tanks. The M4 Sherman was a medium tank and the main American battle tank (1942-45). The German tanks confronted in 1944 after D-Day, however, were vastly improved types and the Shermans which were basically the same were outclassed. The Sherman was comparable to the German Mark III when introducd in North Africa (1942). Hundreds were destroyed by the Germans because of reatively thin armour and an under-powered main armament. The Americans threw thousands of Shermans into the fight for France. This boy apparently had an American M4 Sherman (the lower front of the hull is a sure clue) in his front yard if not livingroon. French boys after the D-Day invasion had whole tanks to play with, both American and German. Figure 1.-British boys had shrapel and bits of pieces of German aircraft to play with during the War.
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