DD or duplex drive tanks, nicknamed "Donald Duck tanks", [1] were a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British during the Second World War. The phrase is mostly used for the Duplex Drive variant of the M4 Sherman medium tank, that was used by the Western Allies during and after the Normandy Landings in June 1944.

A British Sherman V (M4A4) DD with its flotation screen lowered. The Sherman V was a foot longer than the Sherman III, and as a DD afloat, provided about a foot more freeboard. It was stated that the DD could swim 1000 yards in 7 minutes at an average speed of 4 1/2 MPH.

Sherman DD (Duplex drive) – Amphibious M4 Variant produced by US and British shops using M4A1, M4A2 and M4A4 donor vehicles. Sherman Firefly – About 2,000 M4s (Firefly IC) and M4A4s (Firefly VC) were re-armed by the British in 1944 with their 17-pounder (76.2 mm) guns as the Sherman Firefly.

The M4 Sherman DD (Duplex Drive) was an amphibious variant of the M4 Sherman tank used during World War II, specifically designed for the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. The "DD" stands for "Duplex Drive," referring to its capability to operate both on land and in water.

In the months preceding D-Day, many were converted to Fireflies, DD Swimming Tanks, Crab Mine Flails and Armoured Recovery Vehicles. M4A4s made up the bulk of Commonwealth 75 mm Sherman gun tanks in Normandy.

Jul 21, 2024 · The M4A1s selected for US DD conversion probably had a mix of T51 and T54E1 track types. But the US discovered that steel tracks were essential to get out of LCTs - rather than for traction on the beach.

Sherman Mk.V DD Tank (M4A4) - Fully-Erected Screen This model represents the Mk.V DD Tanks as they were used operationally in the British & Canadian Landings on D-Day and in the Rhine crossing. This highly detailed kit consists of the complete tank with all of the waterproofing modifications plus all the the DD equipment.

Jan 17, 2025 · During World War II, M4 Sherman tanks fought in North Africa (1942-1943), Italy (1943-1945), during the battles in Normandy, France and West Germany (1944-1945), but also in the Pacific or in the ranks The Red Army on the Eastern Front.

While the British and Canadians saw more of their 'swimming' Sherman Duplex Drive tanks hit the beaches than their US counterparts, there were still some which didn't make ashore on D-Day, including this vehicle now on display in the town of Courseulles-sur …

The Army had seven main sub-designations for M4 variants during production: M4, M4A1, M4A2, M4A3, M4A4, M4A5, and M4A6. These designations did not necessarily indicate linear improvement; in that "M4A4" did not indicate it was better than "M4A3".