What Soviet Tank Crews Said When They Climbed Inside Their First American Sherman

Late 1943: A Soviet tank brigade in Ukraine takes delivery of brand-new, tall, foreign green tanks with strange lettering on the hulls. The Americans call it the M4 Sherman. The Soviets call it the "Emcha." When 21-year-old tank commander Dmitriy Loza climbs inside, he remembers what he sees for the rest of his life: padded leather seats, bright white interior paint, two high-quality radios, and a separate, quiet motor just to charge the batteries. It is the exact opposite of the brutal, cramped T-34 he is used to fighting in. The official history of the Soviet Union largely erased the contribution of the 4,000 Lend-Lease Sherman tanks delivered by American merchant sailors. But in the 1990s, Dmitriy Loza—a Hero of the Soviet Union—finally published the honest truth about what the Red Army really thought of the American machine. In this video, we break down Loza's fascinating, objective review of the Emcha. Discover why Soviet crews loved the comfortable seats and the non-exploding American ammunition, but hated the tank's tall, top-heavy profile and smooth rubber tracks that slid like a "fat cow" on Russian ice. We explore the brilliant American factory reps who actively listened to Soviet complaints to upgrade the tanks, and the underlying design philosophies of both nations: the T-34 was built to survive a month, while the Sherman was built to keep its crew alive for years. If your father or grandfather built Shermans, or sailed on the convoys that carried them to Russia, put his name and his ship or his plant in the comments below. Those names belong in the record. Chapters 0:00 - The White Interior (Late 1943) - Part 1: The Tank They Came From (The Brutal T-34) - Part 2: The Emcha (Leather Seats and Dual Radios) - Part 3: What Was Wrong With It (Ice and Top-Heaviness) - Part 4: The Thing He Couldn't Explain (The Ammunition) - Part 5: The Man From the Factory (American Customer Service) - The Verdict: The Philosophy of Survival #WWIIHistory #M4Sherman #T34 #MilitaryHistory #WorldWar2