Mara Storey

2 days ago | businessinsider.com | Sam Fellman |Katie Sanders |Mara Storey |Henry Blodget

The M4 Sherman was the backbone of the Allied armored force during World War II. Weighing roughly 40 tons, it was fast, reliable, and built by the thousands. Sherman tanks proved key in helping the Allies break through German defenses at Utah and Omaha Beaches. Some were equipped with a bulldozer blade on the front that could cut through the defenses on the beach — and that would later function as hedgecutters used to break through wall-like hedges throughout Normandy.