[Charles M]

The photo used is a Mk III, not a Mk II. The former had a muzzle brake and sometimes a small counterweight, the latter a counter-weight only. The turret armour factors are wrong. The Mk II and III had a new turret with thinner armour, turret front 32mm, sides 25mm, rear 20mm, top 17mm, with 32mm hull front, sides 25mm, rear 14mm, roof 17mm and belly 8mm*.

Suggested commentary: The Mk II had a lighter turret and a 6-pdr gun, justifying it's production during the British gun crisis. But production delays and defective turret welding ended army enthusiasm as the Sherman began to arrive+. 307 Mk IIs were built, 24 of which were sent to the Yugoslavian partisans. Used only in Italy and Mediterranean.

* Abridged Specifications for Mk III, dated 29 September 1943 courtesy of the Tank Museum, Bovington. + Gordon-Hall, pp. 80 and 83.