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Need some help identifying a Sherman from the 714th Tank Battalion....

Garandomatic

By Garandomatic,
in MILITARY VEHICLES

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Garandomatic

Garandomatic

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I'm looking ahead a project or two, here. Back in August, I bought an Ike on ebay that I was able to identify from the 12th Armored. I contacted the division association to ask them if they had any information on the man, and long story short, Howard is alive and well and living about a half hour from where the uniform came from. He wrote an excellent memoir, and I've talked to him several times since then.

 

Howard was a gunner, and was in an M4A1 (75mm) of some sort at the 12th's brutal fight at Herrlesheim. He was in C Co. and was #2 heading down the street when the platoon CO hollered over the radio to bail out, as they had taken a hit and were burning! Apparently, a panzerfaust had hit the .50 and set it and its ammunition on fire right above the tank's fuel tanks. The entire crew escaped safely under fire the whole time and sheltered in a basement before being withdrawn in some of the tanks that did not get knocked out. Interestingly enough, a German tried to steal that tank later, and it was KO'ed later by another of the platoon's Shermans. His next tank was an M4A3 with a 76mm gun. Later on, I forget the town off the top of my head, but Howard basically knocked out a tank in that Sherman... Popped up over a hill, and there it sat, gun pointed away. He smacked it with a shot that ricocheted, and had the loader keep them coming. 4 or 5 hits, and after the smoke cleared, the tank was gone. Infantry later found it in the woods where the crew had to abandon it.

 

I have a suitable M4A3 76mm (W) model I am building, but the M4A1 is another question... The attached picture is in Howard's book and states that these are 714th tanks, and it's just not clear enough to make it out... I wonder if I could get your opinions on the following:

 

1. Does it look like they have the early 3 piece transmission cover, or the later 1 piece? I don't see any evidence of the flanges, and I'd think you'd see at least one in the picture if it was a 3 piece, but I don't know...

 

2. Does it look like a direct vision model or not?

 

3. Does the gun mantlet look like the early small one, or the later one that covered most of the turret front?

 

I know the picture quality isn't great for identification, but I could use some opinions.

post-9670-0-03308400-1486698264_thumb.jpg

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Garandomatic

Garandomatic

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Looks to me like the final drive housings, I think they are called, bug out of the trans cover substantially, so I think these are the 3-piece trans covers...

 

I think they have wide mantlets, though...

 

I think I see bulges for the DV ports...

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GITom1944

GITom1944

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I am not a licensed Shermaholic so take my comments with a grain of salt but I think direct vision hulls were fairly rare. They were the first versions of the M4A1 that were built and I believe they were issued to the units that were formed early on such as the 1st Armored Division. I agree with your impression that these tanks have wide mantlets but I don't think they have DV hulls. I believe they are later production M4A1 75mm hulls. I also think the transmission covers are the early 1 piece versions. The 3 piece types were on early production tanks and to my eye it appears as though the round final drive housings smoothly flare into the flat section of the cover. Just my 2 cents...

 

Here's a link with a pic of some Shermans that were captured by the Germans at Herrlisheim https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/medals-of-raf-ace-billy-drake-to-go-under-the-auction-gavel.html. The caption says they are M4A3's of the 43rd Tank Bn but the one on the right looks like an M4A1 75mm. Although they are from a different battalion they are 12 Armored tanks. Good luck with your project.

 

Tom

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Garandomatic

Garandomatic

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I can't seem to get that link to open... Thanks for the ideas... I like the late m4a1 better myself! Can you try posting the link again?

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