hello, just a question. was it the case that stowage on the front of a Sherman was not always tied down, photos seen to indicate this. Perhaps the angle of the front plate and the use of the retaining plank attached to the fenders was enough to keep the stuff in place.I am building a Sherman m4 late with a couple of boxes, and maybe a spare wheel resting on the plank, then topped by 15-20 sandbags for extra protection. Comments or photos appreciated.
Paul

If you tuck the bags onto the spare wheel, I'd say that's OK. As you suspect, having an extremely weighty item resting on the glacis w/o being attached, presents a strong likelihood of it falling off given the undulations of a moving AFV -- spilling off the entire sandbag load. I think I've seen it in pics -- but think it'd be preferable to have the entire sandbag load sturdy and not reliant on an unattached roadwheel.

One thing to consider: don't pile your sandbags too high. Leave clear the upper glacis edge so the drivers' vision lines are unobstructed. Most aftermarket sandbag armor sets are WAY too tall and block the periscopes of both driver and hull gunner.