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Up-armored Shermans


Jim Baker
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I love the Sherman and look forward to returning to modelling again. I save any interesting photos I can of Shermans in the field for reference. I was hoping some of you might have photos of Shermans up-armored in the field?

 

This photo is very clear, and the armor is clearly done in the field. I love the way all the accessories have also been added to the new plate.

post-78-1174238907.jpg

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I have to apologize for this photo. It is cut out of a larger photo and has lost some clarity.

 

I think it is interesting because it appears a new plate has just been welded to the bow plate and a hole cut out for the MG. Sort of a Germanish looking up-grade. I wish I had a clear shot of this vehicle.

post-78-1174239149.jpg

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Hey Erwin,

 

How are you?? These are great! Thanks!

 

I've always heard Patton hated the add on sandbag armor. I bet he had a cow when he saw something like this.

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Here a few with sandbags on them.

 

One is a tank of the 14th Armored division as you can see on the barrel.

 

M41.jpg

 

M4Sherman14thArmored2.jpg

 

Erwin

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Erwin,

 

That is the photo I've seen associated with Patton chewing the tank crews butts for having the sandbags!! I love the look on his face.

 

Anyone have any other up-armored photos??

 

Thanks!! thumbsup.gif

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  • 3 weeks later...
Loading a Sherman tank in England...May 29, 1944.

Hello,

 

Excellent picture. BTW --> what is this stripped tanker helmet without ventilation holes at right tanker's head?

 

Best regards

 

Greg

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Sometimes they taped off the ventilation holes.

According to what I read it was to prevent rain from entering the helmet and/or cold entering the helmet through these holes.

 

Apparently when outside the tank or TDer in the rain or snowfall, one got soaked by rain or snowwater dripping through the ventilation holes and getting the head, neck, back very wet.

 

Erwin

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Was the extra armour a general up-grade as is being done to vehicles in Iraq now or were these special purpose tanks like flail tanks or dozer tanks. Were they lead tanks in an assault or maybe used as bait to locate enemy guns? Anybody have any idea?

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What it boils down to is simlpy extra protection against the powerful guns of the panzers. The crews and maintenance guys used everything from wood, sand bags, and armor plate for that extra protection.

 

An 88 would still easily penetrate the armor plate of the first tank I pictured at a fairly significant range.

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According to Jim Hardy - 702nd Tank Bn - they had "the honor" of riding into towns first.

He drove an up-armored Sherman into Ettelbrück ..... and got knocked out.

 

Erwin

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I don't know if it is the right place to put this, but it might be interesting to read.

 

Erwin

 

Jim Hardy (702nd Tank Battalion "Red Devils")

 

"Our 702nd Tank Bn was attached to the 80th Div. to give armor support. Sometimes we rode infantry on our tank into an attack. Other times we would be ahead or back of the infantry.

 

My tank was first because we had some extra armor welded on. We were hit 12 or 14 times just as we got in town (Ettelbruck). We left the tank but the commander could not go because his leg was broken. Two medics were killed trying to get the Sgt. out of the tank. My assistant driver and I went back after dark and got our commander out. He died two days later because of the loss of blood. I still think of him at times. I think I am the only one of that crew alive today.

 

I was assigned as driver of another tank and went the rest of our time in Luxembourg going from town to town.

 

I lost another tank while we were taking Erfurt, Germany. My Lt. was killed in this tank. Lt. Larkins was the best soldier I ever met and I am told I went nuts and tried to shoot a couple of people.

 

After Ettelbruck some of the towns I can remember attacking are - Goesdorf, Beaufort, Bockholtz, Burden, Buderscheid, hosingen, Neidhausen, Niederfeulen, Schieren, Wilverwiltz. that's a few of them anyway.

 

Our tanks (Shermans) had 75 mm guns on them plus two 30 cal and one 50 cal machine guns. My number two tank had a much better gun on it. It was a 76 mm and did a lot better job than the 75."

 

Letter July 9, 1989

 

--------------------

 

"We started in with the 318th Inf. Regt. I was driving the first tank and we got hit as we got started into town. We had a track knocked off and could not move. We had extra armor welded on our sides and the gun could not get through our sides.

 

Our Tank Commander was a brave man or some of us think he was nuts but he stayed in the tank after we all left and kept firing the tank gun. After dark my assistant driver and I crawled into the bottom escape hatch and got Don out. He had a bad broken leg. This was all of Ettelbruck, the 318th ended up taking the city as tanks could not get near the town. I got a new tank about a week later and went from there. When we started into Ettelbruck it had just started to snow. We had our winter OD wool clothes at this time. We also had a tanker outfit that was good in cold weather. Our tanks were cold in the winter and hot in the summer. We had no heaters in them. I did have a small stove that was used to warm coffee but this did not do much at heating the inside of the tank. I would sleep most of the time under the tank in our bed roll, as the transmission was warm and the snow kept the wind out.

 

This tank lasted till we got to Erfurt, Germany. I had a Lt. for commander this time and he was killed as we entered some woods. He was hit in the face with an AT shell and fell down on my back. This was about all I could handle and went nuts they tell me. This Lt. was the best man I ever served under all the time I was in the Army."

 

Letter August 28, 1989

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Charlie Flick

Here is a French operated Sherman that could have used some additional armor. Destroyed near Urschenheim in January, 1945. I did not record the source of the photo.

 

Charlie Flick

 

Destroyed_Sherman_French_CC5_Urschenheim_FR_1_45.jpg

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Here is a French operated Sherman that could have used some additional armor. Destroyed near Urschenheim in January, 1945. I did not record the source of the photo.

 

Charlie Flick

 

post-68-1176070909.jpg

 

Obviously an internal explosion. Look at how it peeled the armor back. crying.gif

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I imagine it would shatter.

 

I also wonder if that board below keeps it from sliding off the metal plate after being bounced around?? Or, are the lifting eyes still there under that mess?

 

Anyone have any others??

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A couple more ...

 

 

 

M46.jpg

 

 

 

M4Sherman11thArmored1.jpg

 

11th Armored Division

 

 

 

M4A3105mm-1.jpg

 

M4A3 105mm

 

 

 

post-4493-1152280209.jpg

 

 

 

Different types of extra "armor".

 

 

 

Erwin

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Charlie Flick

I guess this Marine Corps Sherman at Iwo Jima qualifies. Source of photo not recorded.

 

Charlie Flick

 

 

 

M4_Sherman_Iwo_Jima_named_Cairo.jpg

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