'Model' Sherman (1 Viewer)

E

El Pippo

Private 1st Class
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Mar 31, 2013
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Hi all.
Just came back from a short trip to the ardennes and thought this would be interesting for some of you. I mainly collect Real West, Medieval Knights and Romans but this Sherman Tank was very impressive. Enjoy.

IMG_5840.JPG

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A very interesting (and nice) picture of you and daughter(?) - Thank you.
I am not to knowledgeable about tanks and damage ... BUT .... Is that a battle damage hole in the front of the tank? .... {sm2}

--- LaRRy
 
Larry Allen said:
A very interesting (and nice) picture of you and daughter(?) - Thank you.
I am not to knowledgeable about tanks and damage ... BUT .... Is that a battle damage hole in the front of the tank? .... {sm2}

--- LaRRy
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You can find this tank in the city of La Roche .It's an M4A1 with a 76mm gun. It was put there in recognition of the 2nd and 3th US Tank Divisions that liberated the city on the 17th of December 1944;
The damage on the front is battle damage .A direct hit from an 88 that killed the whole crew.This tank was put on the spot where until 2004 an M26 Pershing was standing. The M26 was moved to the army base "Roi Albert" in Marche
guy:)
 
Guy said:
You can find this tank in the city of La Roche .It's an M4A1 with a 76mm gun. It was put there in recognition of the 2nd and 3th US Tank Divisions that liberated the city on the 17th of December 1944;
The damage on the front is battle damage .A direct hit from an 88 that killed the whole crew.This tank was put on the spot where until 2004 an M26 Pershing was standing. The M26 was moved to the army base "Roi Albert" in Marche
guy:)
Click to expand...

rectification : The 2nd and 3th US armoured division :They stopped the German advance in December 1944 and liberated the city of La Roche in January 1945.
It was on the 17th dec 2004 that the restored Sherman tank was put there .
guy:)
 
Great photograph's and thanks for the extra info Guy. With the new Brad Pitt movie, 'Fury' due out soon it's a timely reminder of what a death trap these beast's would have been, if on the receiving end of an 88 or similar. 'Tanker's' were bloody brave bloke's in my opinion and I can't imagine it was much fun squaring off with a Tiger or Panther at the best of times.....:salute::
 
As I said earlier a direct hit from an 88mm gun that killed the whole crew. This tank was hit in the open fields a couple of KMs out of the town . It was restored by the Belgian army and given to the town in memory of the battle that raged in and around the town of La Roche in December and January 1944-1945 .La Roche was the meeting point between the Allied forces coming from the north ( British) and the south ( US) It changed hands several times during the Battle of the Bulge and was almost completely destroyed by US artillery.
guy:)
 
@ Larry: Yes, It's my daughter and me and a bag with a couple of belgian beer bottles :D

@ Guy: Thx for this very interesting information on the tank. Didnt know that. The damage in the front of the tank looked very "brutal" and I cant imagine what it must have been a horror for the tank crew.
 
Very interesting - especially for a Shermanoholic like myself. From the side view I THINK this is one of the earlier M4A1 76mm to see action. On most Shermans with 76mm guns there is a ventilator to reduce the gun fumes in the turret. This ventilator drew in outside air via a vent that caused a "bump" on the rear of the turret. This tank apperas to lack that, so it is one of the earliest M4A1 76mm off the production line. About 300 of these tanks had been received in England prior to DDay, but they weren't issued as all the prepaarations had been made for the assault forces and training men on a new tank, new gun and issuing the different ammo would screw up plans that had been made carefully and were almost ready for execution. During the bocage fighting the US tankers wanted a tank with a better gun and the stored 76mm tanks were quickly parcelled out to the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions before Operation Cobra. This tank appears to be from that first batch and from your story it served until being knocked out during the Ardennes campaign. Nice photos, thanks for sharing.
 
Interesting the way that the shell made that "Impression" from the front, versus the standard Round shape ! ^&confuse
 
PanzerAce1944 said:
Interesting the way that the shell made that "Impression" from the front, versus the standard Round shape ! ^&confuse
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PA I think what they did when restoring the tank is fold all the metal from the direct hit,that was pointing towards the inside of the tank, back out to its original shape and place . But I am not sure about this.
guy^&confuse
 
It's a cast hull which has more imperfections than rolled welded steel hulls. In casting a big object like a tank hull, it's difficult to get the thickness, the hardness, the grain of the steel, the brittleness perfect over the whole casting. Sometimes a wack from a big calibre gun like an 88 would shatter the steel instead of just punching a round hole.

Terry
 
Phantom Warrior said:
It's a cast hull which has more imperfections than rolled welded steel hulls. In casting a big object like a tank hull, it's difficult to get the thickness, the hardness, the grain of the steel, the brittleness perfect over the whole casting. Sometimes a wack from a big calibre gun like an 88 would shatter the steel instead of just punching a round hole.

Terry
Click to expand...

Makes perfect sense to me ! The interior damage from Impact at the time must have been Devastating.
 
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