ˈɔːlmoʊst ɪmˈiːdɪətli ˈæftɚ ðɪ ˈɛm fˈoːɹ ʃˈɜːmən wʌz stˈændɚdˌaɪzd, ðə jˌuːˈɛs ˈɔːɹdnəns dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt stˈɑːɹɾᵻd wˈɜːk ˌɔn ɐ səksˈɛsɚ.
Almost immediately after the M4 Sherman was standardized, the US Ordnance Department started work on a successor.