Chafees at the Bulge (1 Viewer)

PolarBear

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I read today on the web that there were only 2 Chafee tanks that fought in the Battle of the Bulge in December. They were assigned to the 740th Tank Battalion of the U.S. 1st Army. Here is a photo of a Chafee in winter camo being inspected by American forces in December 1944. Can anyone confirm that this number is accurate?
 

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That is also the info that I have. The two M24s in question were supposed to be doing familiarization tours to US units so the GIs would know what the new light tank looked like (to help avoid friendly fire incidents). The 740th was down for maintenance - all of its tanks were high-mileage and were under major overhaul. When the German offensive was realized to be serious, the battalion scraped up all the armor they could find in depots in their area. Reportedly they grabbed up some Shermans that were set to be delivered to UK forces, so they had the wrong radios for US use. There was also a story that the battalion was so desperate to get rolling that several M7 "Priest" SP howitzers were used. That's how the two M24s came to be in the 740th - they were Shanghaied from the tank depot and sent into combat.

Chaffees started to arrive in numbers in early 1945 - same as the M4A3E8. I belive that there is a chart in one of Steve Zaloga's books that has the on-hand strength in 1945 and one can see the M24 go from small numbers in 1/45 to having several hundred in the hands of the troops by VE day. By the way, a common nickname for the M24 was "Panther Pup" as it didn't look like the other US tanks serving with it.

When referring to the "Battle of the Bulge" one must divide it into two phases. Phase one is the time we are usually most familiar with - the great German attack, the Allied response, the battles at St. Vith and Bastogne, etc. Phase two was the great Allied counter offensive that wiped out the bulge in the lines. This occurred in January, 1945. THIS is when the US tanks were often whitewashed for camouflage (most units were too busy in late December to fool with whitewashing). By January the next batches of M24s and M4A3E8s were arriving and being put into the hands of the troops to replace the massive losses of December. So, yes the Chaffe is truly a "Battle of the Bulge" tank from both phases. Andy's model accurately represents one in January-February, 1945. Not a common tank, but still quite appropriate for the time and place described (just don't stick one in Bastogne)

Gary
 
Gary,

How plentiful were the M24s in the second phase?
 
I think you guys are totally wrong on this one; according to the epic, historically accurate movie from the 60's "The Battle of the Bulge" starring Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw et al, ALL of the American tanks at the Bulge were Chafees....................:p
 
I think you guys are totally wrong on this one; according to the epic, historically accurate movie from the 60's "The Battle of the Bulge" starring Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw et al, ALL of the American tanks at the Bulge were Chafees....................:p

Yes, and the Germans all had Walker Bulldogs instead of Panzers!
 
The American tanks in the movie were Chaffee's for sure. I thought the german heavy tanks were played by Pershings? I'll have to watch the movie again.
 
Steel Wheels,
Watch it your own peril..............;) Actually, as a kid I loved that movie, imagine if it were redone with todays technology and they used Mark IV's, Stugs, Tiger II's, Jagdtigers, Jagdpanthers, Panthers, etc.

Now THAT would be something............
 
Steel Wheels,
Watch it your own peril..............;) Actually, as a kid I loved that movie, imagine if it were redone with todays technology and they used Mark IV's, Stugs, Tiger II's, Jagdtigers, Jagdpanthers, Panthers, etc.

Now THAT would be something............

Any one know any one in Hollywood?
 
I have to say that I loved all those old tank war movies. Although kelly's heroes was a drama/comedy, and wasn't on the scale of Patton, the Shermans and Tigers in Kelly's Heroes were the most realistic portrayal of the famous tanks that I have ever seen in a ww-2 flick.
 
Will KC comes up with a de-iced version of the M24 Chaffee (just like HB)?

N-P
 
1) Chaffee strength: When I got home from work I hauled out Steve Zaloga's "M24 Light Tank 1943-85" from Osprey. The two tanks that "happened" to end up at the 740th Tank Bn were part of a batch of 20. The other 18 went on to the 744th Light Tank Battalion (being equipped soley with M5A1s they were to be the first unit to get the Chaffees). That batch stayed in action through JAN45. The chart in the book states for total M24s strength; JAN-20, FEB-128, MAR-364, APR-736, MAY-1163. So while the M24 was only in the Ardennes fighting in small numbers it rapidly replaced a percentage of the M5A1 Stuarts by the end of the war in Europe. Total M24 light tank production was 4731, running from 4/44 through 7/45.

By the way, at least a few went to Italy (these wouldn't show on the ETO stength report). There is an oft-reproduced color photo of an M24 from 1st Armored Division late in the Italian campaign.

2) The 1969 movie "Battle of the Bulge" was filmed in Spain and used equipment from the Spanish Army. The German tanks were portrayed by modified M47s. Note the "German-style" muzzle brakes on some cannons, and the stowage bins were removed from the rear of the turret. The US "Sherman" tanks were M24s, the "Priest" SP guns were M37 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriages (a postwar vehicle based on the M24), and there were either US M38 (postwar) Jeeps or French Hotchkiss versions, M37 light trucks, M135 trucks for the Germans, and M3A1 halftracks for both sides.

Gary (really looking forward to his new K&C M24)
 
By the way - as well as Alex, I can help de-ice the Chaffees for those who want a later tank.

Gary
 

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