During the Second World War the M4 Sherman equipped every Allied nation except Australia and fought in every theatre. Its service life extended for decades beyond 1945 but it still attracts controversy. Its reputation has been damaged by myth and ‘Top Trumps’ assessments that don’t consider context. It was not a perfect tank, but it was very capable and far from a death-trap. Indeed, it was one of the most survivable tanks of the war, second only to the Churchill. It outclassed many of its oppon