Would anyone perhaps care to comment on the possibility that the 11th Armoured Div Sherman M4A3E8 featured in the picture on page 44 of Osprey New Vanguard no 73 –
M4 (76mm) Sherman Medium Tank 1943-65 by Steve Zaloga and Jim Laurier, could be “Flat Foot Floogie”, also of the 11th Armoured, featured on page 49 of Squadron/Signal Armor no 16 – Sherman in Action by Bruce Culver & Don Greer?

If I recall correctly, it has already been established that “Flat Foot Floogie” did not have a muzzle brake, despite the fact that the colour plate on the back cover of the Squadron publication shows it with one. What further makes me wonder about the possibility that the two tanks might be one and the same is the identical bolted-on additional armour (close inspection of the picture of “Floogie” reveals bolted-on armour on the turret, behind the squatting crewman, which also is not reproduced in the Squadron colour plate) and identical –
or at least very similar – stowage arrangements, down to the duffel bag on the glacis. While I can appreciate that stowage and add-on arrangements on vehicles of the same unit may have been very similar, the case at hand would be simply too coincidental?

Also, can anyone tell me what the spare wheels bolted to the sides of many WWII and post- WWII M4A3E8s are, as they look different from the HVSS road wheels?

Thank you in advance!

Gert