Patton saw the need for a tank to accompany infantry, not necessarily to fight other tanks.
Some of the Sherman crews called their tanks `Ronsons’. Those were brave guys.
The Japs had there flaming Zeros and we had our flaming Shermans. Nothing noble about either sitution. We were too stubborn to halt production and make a better tank. The Japs had a better plane in the A-7 but refused to cut over.
American tactical armored doctrine at the beginning of WWII was tanks supported infantry. Anti-Tank responsibility was that of the anti-tank Battalions. This doctrine underwent a lot of modification during the war. The British referred to their Sherman tanks as “Tommy Cookers”.