Sherman Tanks
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 800
Likes: 6
From: Edmonton, Alberta Canada
the Ford GAA motor was actually an aircraft motor (Ford also had an aircraft division, remember the Ford Tri-Motor) converted to be used in tanks. rated at 500hp and i think 1100 cu inches.
Motors used in the Sherman Tanks
Continental R935 radial
GM Diesel engines
Ford GAA
Chrylser 30 cyl engine (basically 5 6cyl flathead Chrysler engines all bolted to one common crankcase and all 5 cranks geared to one output shaft)
Cat diesel engines
by most war accounts, it took 4 or 5 Shermans to knock out the German Panther and Tiger tanks. the German tank would knock out 3 or 4 tanks, before the last Sherman could sneak up and hit the German tank from the rear, its most vunerable spot.
my dad's friend was a tank crewman in WWII for the Canadian army using Sherman tanks. many fascinating stories about how he survived and many others didn't. they wouldn't even consider going up against the King Tiger tank, even if they had a 20:1 advantage. Foretunetly there were very few King Tiger tanks built.
Rgds
Mike
Motors used in the Sherman Tanks
Continental R935 radial
GM Diesel engines
Ford GAA
Chrylser 30 cyl engine (basically 5 6cyl flathead Chrysler engines all bolted to one common crankcase and all 5 cranks geared to one output shaft)
Cat diesel engines
by most war accounts, it took 4 or 5 Shermans to knock out the German Panther and Tiger tanks. the German tank would knock out 3 or 4 tanks, before the last Sherman could sneak up and hit the German tank from the rear, its most vunerable spot.
my dad's friend was a tank crewman in WWII for the Canadian army using Sherman tanks. many fascinating stories about how he survived and many others didn't. they wouldn't even consider going up against the King Tiger tank, even if they had a 20:1 advantage. Foretunetly there were very few King Tiger tanks built.
Rgds
Mike
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 890
Likes: 0
From: New York
Originally Posted by jreilly57
So was the 1100 HP dohc aluminum motor Ford made for the Sherman a Ford design? And even if it wasn't why couldn't they use the experience to develop their own modern V-8? I mean, why would Ford stick with the antiquated Flathead through '53 if they had the technology to build a much more modern power plant for the Sherman? Why wouldn't a smaller version be made for their trucks? It just seems they stuck with the old flathead and ultimately let Chevy become the standard V-8 for race cars in the mid to late 50"s.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,344
Likes: 11
From: I live in Leitchfield, KY
OK, this is kind of off topic, but here goes. We have a radio call in show where I live to buy and sell stuff. A few years ago, an old guy called in and said he was looking to buy a Sherman tank and was looking for a good looking red headed woman.
I got the good looking red headed woman, I just need a Sherman tank!
I got the good looking red headed woman, I just need a Sherman tank!
FTE Remembers
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,776
Likes: 2
From: springfield il
mmhmm i must agree . i love this kinda thing . it fills my head with odd info that amazes folks when ya start bullsh-tt-ng . plus i really do just have a passion for anything with an internal combustion engine .
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 25,430
Likes: 5,438
From: Central PA
verrry interesting!
Originally Posted by NumberDummy
I'm no expert on what Ford engines were used in tanks, but FoMoCo at President Roosevelts request, hurridly signed a contract in 1941 to build Rolls-Royce Merlin aircraft engines in the US for the war effort. Ford's limited engineering department took one look at the complicated R-R Merlin specs, and said...forget it.
The contract was passed to Packard who built thousands of the engines, which became the Packard-Merlin because they simplified the design.
Who actually designed that 1100 cid DOHC engine? I doubt Ford had much if anything to do with it. Henry Ford was senile, Harry Bennett and his "goon squad' were running the company, and Ford Motor was hide bound and in terrible shape during WWII. The conditions were so bad, that the War Production Board got 21 year old Henry Ford II ("The Deuce") out of the US Navy to take over the helm (Edsel died in 1943 of bleeding ulcers). Henry refused to allow this, but finally gave in when his wife Clara told him she'd sell her Ford stock if he didn't relent.
The contract was passed to Packard who built thousands of the engines, which became the Packard-Merlin because they simplified the design.
Who actually designed that 1100 cid DOHC engine? I doubt Ford had much if anything to do with it. Henry Ford was senile, Harry Bennett and his "goon squad' were running the company, and Ford Motor was hide bound and in terrible shape during WWII. The conditions were so bad, that the War Production Board got 21 year old Henry Ford II ("The Deuce") out of the US Navy to take over the helm (Edsel died in 1943 of bleeding ulcers). Henry refused to allow this, but finally gave in when his wife Clara told him she'd sell her Ford stock if he didn't relent.
When did Ford recover from it demise? post-war with the introduction of the '48 models or was it with our beloved '53-'56 models?
"Mifflin Clay"
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,177
Likes: 4
From: Mifflin, PA
Not to mention the half - dozen Ford & Ford Ferguson tractor engines....Ford built and sold a lot of their tractors in England during the war...
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 89
Likes: 1
They were very high tech. engines for the time. They are not Merlin knock-offs as some people think, in fact the cam drive system won a U.S. patent in 1943.
The patent showed Henry Ford and Charles Sorenson to be the designers. The blocks were the largest one piece aluminum castings in the world at the time.
Here is a video of mine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1E_OBPpEVs
The patent showed Henry Ford and Charles Sorenson to be the designers. The blocks were the largest one piece aluminum castings in the world at the time.
Here is a video of mine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1E_OBPpEVs
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 89
Likes: 1
FTE Remembers
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,776
Likes: 2
From: springfield il
dain ya got a spare one i can put into another ford truck ? i know where there are a couple of other trucks that need an powerplant !!!!!! you got any more pics or vid's of that sucker it's cool as hades !!!!!
"Mifflin Clay"
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,177
Likes: 4
From: Mifflin, PA
Originally Posted by bobbytnm
If you guys havent done it, you should read a biography of ol Henry Ford. Very interesting stuff
Bobby
Bobby
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,890
Likes: 10
From: La Verne, California
Originally Posted by mcdonaldm
by most war accounts, it took 4 or 5 Shermans to knock out the German Panther and Tiger tanks. the German tank would knock out 3 or 4 tanks, before the last Sherman could sneak up and hit the German tank from the rear, its most vunerable spot.
my dad's friend was a tank crewman in WWII for the Canadian army using Sherman tanks. many fascinating stories about how he survived and many others didn't. they wouldn't even consider going up against the King Tiger tank, even if they had a 20:1 advantage. Foretunetly there were very few King Tiger tanks built.
Rgds
Mike
my dad's friend was a tank crewman in WWII for the Canadian army using Sherman tanks. many fascinating stories about how he survived and many others didn't. they wouldn't even consider going up against the King Tiger tank, even if they had a 20:1 advantage. Foretunetly there were very few King Tiger tanks built.
Rgds
Mike
The German tanks used the Flak 88 & the bloody thing was able to brew-up Allied tanks from Three (3) Miles away & the crews Never knew what killed them. Plus weighing in @ 57+ Tons, w/ 100mm Frontal, 80mm Side & Rear Armour w/ 120mm Gun Mantlet Armour it was niegh unstopable. It was prone to break downs because of the Weak transamissions couldn't take the weight of the tank. If a unit hand Fifteen (15) Tiger 1's, only Five (5) were in service @ any given time as the other Ten (10) were under repair. They were also Prone to throwing tracks because of the weight of the tank, narrow track width, drive gear & boogie design.
Where as the 75mm mounted in Shermans effective tank killing range was Five Hundred yards. Plus the Sherman came in @ 30+ tons, w/ 63mm Frontal, 45mm Side & Rear Armour w/ 91mm Gun Mantlet Armour.
That is untill the Brits mounted their Seventeen (17) Pounder in the Sherman & called it the Firefly. It then could punch through the frontal armour of a Tiger 1 @ 1500 yards & that's how they brewed-up German tank ace (138 armoured vehicles), Michael Witmann & his 007 Tiger 1.
Last edited by Col Flashman; Dec 6, 2007 at 09:13 PM.