Sherman Firefly vs. Tiger: Normandy 1944

I bought this book because of the interesting aspects on the death of German Panzer Ace Micheal Wittmann. I found the whole book to be well written and very interesting. I recommend it.

Osprey's new 'Duel' series scores a hit with Stephen Hart's Sherman Firefly vs. Tiger volume. Since the Firefly was specifically developed to take the measure of Tigers, a blow-by-blow comparison is entirely appropriate. Hart's book is an interesting, educational, nicely-illustrated look at how these two metal monsters were developed and then utilized in combat. The Tiger had been dominating European battlefields for two years before the Brits fielded the Sherman Firefly model. As befits a wartime expedient, the Firefly had all the shortcomings of a Sherman but boasted the Tiger-killing 17-pounder cannon. In face-offs the Tiger had heavier armor and its 88m cannon versus the Firefly's 17-pounder, thinner armor but greater mobility and speed. Hart does a marvelous job of relating each tank's history, strengths/weaknesses, tactics and battlefield exploits. I found it fascinating, for example, that the Firefly's back-blast was so bright that it temporarily blinded the crew, a failing that higher command accepted because of the cannon's tank-killing potential. Likewise, the 17-pounder's HE performance was so poor that British tank squadrons only wanted one or two Fireflies assigned to each troop despite the fact that the standard Sherman couldn't compete with the Firefly's Tiger-killing abilities. As an example of how the two fared against each other, Hart uses the legendary 8 August 1944 engagement that pitted the WWII's greatest tank commander, Michael Wittmann, against a lone Firefly. It makes for fascinating reading. Thus far, I have only read two 'Duel' titles. I was rather critical of the P-51 vs. FW-190 match-up but, if Stephen Hart's Firefly-Tiger volume is an example of what the series aspires to be, I'm definitely going to check out more of the titles. And so should you!

The "Sherman Firefly VS Tiger", by Stephen A Hart, is a must read for military historians and students alike. The German Panzer tank commanders were used to having a field day, as their Panthers, and tigers would cut through the M4 Sherman tanks like swiss cheese. The german tanks were by far superior in armour protection and firepower. The American Sherman tank was no match for the tanks of the axis powers, but what it did have going for it was a vast majority in numbers built, and a better track record for reliability. The Sherman proved to be a more adaptable tank when changes were needed for every occasion. The British, in the summer of 1944 rolled out its first sherman firefly variation, equipped with a seveteen pounder main gun. For the first time, German tankers in their massive lumbering Tiger tanks, had something to fear about the Sherman Tank. The Sherman was much more agile, and usually did well in city limits, as opposed to the Tigers which were better suited for the open field. The 17 pound main gun finally made the tiger vulnerable, and the moral of the British tankers increased dramitically, as reports of Firefly's destroying Tigers was filtering through. Legendary Tiger tank Commander Michael Wittman eventually met his demise at the hand of the Sherman Firefly, during a fierce battle, that is well documented in this book. The firefly became the envy of every American Sherman Tanker, who still had to do battle with 75/76mm shermans. This book proves to be a captivating read, that is full of great rare photo's and paintings, as well as thoughtful insight by the author. I highly recommend this book as a must for anyones military library.

This is an outstanding resource on both the German Tiger (I) and the British Sherman Firefly tanks. Most people know about the German Tiger tanks, which were so notorious that the recorded kills by Allied armies of the Tigers far outnumbers their actual production. The Sherman Firefly, based on the U.S. Sherman tank (which was no match for the Tigers) and specifically built to defeat the fearsome Tigers, is less well known. This book does an excellent job of describing the characteristics of both tanks and their battlefield records, particularly when matched against each other. Also included are accounts of tank aces for each model.