Historic WW2 tank to return to the USA... (1 Viewer)

[binder001]

Here is a link to an Army article on the status of a Sherman tank;

http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/06/16/22737-historic-cobra-king-heads-to-new-home-in-patton-museum/

The tank involved was an M4A3E2, the special uparmored medium tank often called a "Jumbo" by modelers. This tank was the lead tank of the 4th Armored Division's push to open a corridor to the beseiged city of Bastogne during the "Battle of the Bulge" in December, 1944. This tank has been quietly serving as a monument tank at Villseck, Germany. In the last few years several interested parties have been trying to discover its history. Tak historian Joe DeMarco supplyed the serial numbers and people in Villseck checked the tank and its components - they matched! "Cobra King" has been verified. The tank will come back to the US, it will get some cosmetic changes to more reflect its appearance in 1944 and it will go on display in an Army museum.

I, for one, am glad to see the old girl found, verified, and getting the treatment due to such a historic property.

Gary B.

 

[Njja]

Very cool, nice to see it returning home!

 

[OzDigger]

Here's some more info, this tank was the personal mount of Lt Col Creighton W. ABRAMS Jr: http://users.skynet.be/jeeper/page135.html

 

[binder001]

Here's some more info, this tank was the personal mount of Lt Col Creighton W. ABRAMS Jr: http://users.skynet.be/jeeper/page135.html

Thanks for the link, but "Cobra King" wasn't Col. Abrams' tank. Abrams' various Shermans were all named "Thunderbolt". The tanks in Europe ran from "Thunderbolt V", an M4, to "Thunderbolt VI", an M4A3 with 76mm gun, and finally "Thunderbolt VII" an M4A3E8. Creighton Abramns never had an M4A3E2 assigned to him personally. There were only 254 M4A3E2 built, of which 250 were in the ETO. These were specially up-armored versions of the M4A3 that were used to lead columns, etc.

Gary

 

[OzDigger]

Thanks for the link, but "Cobra King" wasn't Col. Abrams' tank. Abrams' various Shermans were all named "Thunderbolt". The tanks in Europe ran from "Thunderbolt V", an M4, to "Thunderbolt VI", an M4A3 with 76mm gun, and finally "Thunderbolt VII" an M4A3E8. Creighton Abramns never had an M4A3E2 assigned to him personally. There were only 254 M4A3E2 built, of which 250 were in the ETO. These were specially up-armored versions of the M4A3 that were used to lead columns, etc.

Gary

Garry, thanks for the input, maybe someone had better tell the officer/author in the link that reckons it was