Swimming Shermans: Sherman DD Amphibious Tank of World War II

by David Fletcher, Tony Bryan (Illustrator)

Overview

The Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) tank was designed by the Allies specifically for the D-Day landings; enveloped in a waterproofed canvas screen, the tank was launched at sea from landing craft and then 'swam' slowly to shore, where the screens were deflated, allowing the tanks to operate as fighting vehicles. Exploring the development and modifications of the Sherman DD, this book discusses its many variants, including the prototype Valentine DD tank and its role as a training tank in Britain and limited operational use in Italy, and examines the successes and tragic failures on the beaches of Normandy and further into North-West Europe, including the challenge of crossing the River Rhine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781841769837
Publisher:	Osprey Publishing, Limited
Publication date:	05/30/2006
Series:	New Vanguard Series
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	7.27(w) x 9.78(h) x 0.15(d)

About the Author

David Fletcher was born in 1942. He has written a number of books and articles on military subjects and is currently the historian at the Tank Museum, Bovington, UK. He has spent over 40 years studying the development of British armoured vehicles during the two World Wars.

Table of Contents

Introduction · Design and development · Operational History · Variants · Colour plate commentary

Editorial Reviews

I found this book to be quite interesting as it covers the DD's very well. From a modeller's standpoint, I think that some of the photo coverage is weak, as there just aren't quite enough detail photos...the color plates are quite good, especially the center spread which shows quite well how the flotation screen sets up. I highly recommend this book for armor modellers, especially, 'Shermanaholics.'” —Chris Hughes, Armorama (July 2006)

From the Publisher