Sherman Firefly
In service 1944 - 1950s
Based onM4 Sherman (variant of)
Also known asSherman VC, Sherman IC Hybrid, 17-pdr Sherman
The British answer to the Tiger and Panther: a Sherman rearmed with the 17-pounder, the only Allied tank gun that could reliably kill them at range.
Built byBritish workshops on US-built hulls
Photograph pending. No clearly licensed photograph of this vehicle was found.
Development history
British ordnance officers fitted the 17-pdr into a rotated Sherman turret, moving the radio into a rear bustle and adding a loader's hatch. From Normandy onwards roughly one tank in four of a British or Commonwealth troop was a Firefly, and German crews learned to shoot at the longer barrel first. Muzzle flash and a slow rate of fire were the price of the gun's performance.
Photo gallery
Period photographs with source and licence details.
Notable actions
- Normandy (1944)
- Operation Goodwood
- Falaise
- Rhine crossing
- Italy