Main description

The M58 Gun Motor Carriage is a variant that changed M4A3E8 Shermans and converted them to artillery. The M58 Gun Motor Carriage uses a M26 Pershing turret, with a modified M3 cannon to fit artillery standards, and major turret modifications such as radio attachments, counterweights and shell storage boxes.
Some features of the Sherman were removed, for example the coaxial gun to add more space, and the commander MG.
The tank's purpose is to be a artillery variant conversion for the surplus M4A3E8 Shermans, it can either be used as fire and infantry support, or bombarding enemy positions with shells.

History

After World War 2 ended, the U.S had surplus M4A3E8 Sherman tanks that were not used in Europe for the time being, and so they sat in storage, until the Korean War was started.

The U.S Army needed new tanks and some use for the M4A3E8 Sherman surpluses that were in storage for reserve, and so the American Locomotive Company, the same manufacturer that made the M7 Priest, worked on the design that would soon be the M58 Gun Motor Carriage, on trials, the gun would prove to be heavy, and would require shocks to elevate and disperse the gun, having a similar design like the T26E4 Super Pershing. The turret ring was also limited to only go 90 degrees to save weight and reduce the strain of the new turret and gun. The M58 Gun Motor Carriage would enter production and would later enter service alongside the Shermans and the Pershings as infantry and artillery support, being used as an assault tank to push attacks forward.

The M58 Gun Motor Carriage was mixed, while it did have a good combat record and was pretty morale boosting on infantry, it also suffered suspension and engine problems due to the overbearing weight of the turret and gun, however this was later solved with weight reducements in later variants.

The M58 Gun Motor Carriage was later sold as export, and foreign operators that operated the Sherman, like Chille and Israel, brought the tank and were later modified into seperate variants, just like the M-51 Super Sherman.

Contols/credits in instructions.

Have fun!