Unsung Hero of El Guettar (1 Viewer)

[Blowtorch]

I was surprised to learn that it was a battalion of these things that gave the US Army it's first victory over the Germans at El Guettar (the first battle in the Patton movie). I had always assumed it was a Sherman tank event, but they were never there. The halftracks ambushed, and the counterattack was by a battalion of M10 tank destroyers. Ironic that the veteran Germans got hammered by a weapon from WW1, the French 75. Even more interesting is that this victory unfortunately reinforced the American belief in tank destroyers as opposed to developing destroyer tanks.

 

[fmethorst]

On the plus side mounting the gun in a halftrack gave it mobility but aside from that it still suffered from all the deficiencies of towed anti-tank guns and lacked their virtues, low profile and concealability (notwithstanding the German 88).

 

[Blowtorch]

Amazing pics. Are those the actual halftracks? I read the the unit was nearly wiped out. The guns might have been more effective because they were on a hill & had height advantage over the 10th PD

 

[fmethorst]

These pictures are from Faid pass during the first encounter between the Americans and Germans.