Sherman Tank in Action Photos

[patches]

North Africa.

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A Sherman of Unknown unit, with German Paratroopers also of an Unknown unit, Normandy.

[patches]

A Marine Corps Sherman unit and location and date unknown.

[patches]

If we show the triumphs, we must also show the sacrifices.

 

A Sherman of the  C Company 741st Tank Battalion attached to the 2nd Infantry Division destroyed in Leipzig, purportedly by a Hitler Youth Volkssturmmann with a Panzerfaust.  the whole crew were killed.

 

 

Sergeant George K. Cuthbert

Technician 4th Grade George R. Wilson

Corporal  Kenneth W. Nickel

Private First Class William E. Glatt

Private First Class Charles Lombardo

No photo of him is out there.

 

 

 

[patches]

 M4A3(76)W  C Company 771st Tank Battalion attached to the 84th Infantry Division on display in  Beffe Belgium.

 

During a move from Magoster to Marcourai on the 8th of January 1945, the Sherman slipped on the icy road and slid into the ditch. As the tank was recovered out of the ditch it hit a daisy chain of German mines which disabled the tank and set it on fire. The bogies were destroyed at the time by the mines. Other parts of the tank that are missing were probably taken as spares by the US Army in WWII.

The driver Salvatore DiMartino was killed and the commander Lt. Norbert E. Karl was severely wounded but survived the war. Karl had received a battlefield commission less than a month before. Cpl Frank M. Bottini and T/Sgt Kenneth C. McKnight were also wounded

This Sherman was left abandoned for many years, where it was knocked out beside the road between the village of Magoster and Beffe 5 miles south of Erezee. It was very evocative of the Battle of the Bulge as it was left at an angle in the middle of the fence with its turret pointing forward, but slightly to its right as if taking a at an enemy tank. In December 1984, after 40 years resting in that field undisturbed, it was hauled away and deposited on the concrete base in the centre of Beffe. This tank now bears the markings of 'A' company, 33rd Tank Battalion, 3rd Armored Division.

The rear decks are not original but were recovered from a range wreck fro the restoration in the 80's. In 1972 the commanders hatch was stolen and kept as a souvenir for 30 years, In 2002 the thief felt sorry about his act and he brought it back. After about 30 years, the hatch was back where it belongs. The co-drivers hatch has been buckled and jammed open since the day it was disabled.

 

 

[patches]

1 minute ago, patches said:

 M4A3(76)W  C Company 771st Tank Battalion attached to the 84th Infantry Division on display in  Beffe Belgium.

 

During a move from Magoster to Marcourai on the 8th of January 1945, the Sherman slipped on the icy road and slid into the ditch. As the tank was recovered out of the ditch it hit a daisy chain of German mines which disabled the tank and set it on fire. The bogies were destroyed at the time by the mines. Other parts of the tank that are missing were probably taken as spares by the US Army in WWII.

The driver Salvatore DiMartino was killed and the commander Lt. Norbert E. Karl was severely wounded but survived the war. Karl had received a battlefield commission less than a month before. Cpl Frank M. Bottini and T/Sgt Kenneth C. McKnight were also wounded

This Sherman was left abandoned for many years, where it was knocked out beside the road between the village of Magoster and Beffe 5 miles south of Erezee. It was very evocative of the Battle of the Bulge as it was left at an angle in the middle of the fence with its turret pointing forward, but slightly to its right as if taking a at an enemy tank. In December 1984, after 40 years resting in that field undisturbed, it was hauled away and deposited on the concrete base in the centre of Beffe. This tank now bears the markings of 'A' company, 33rd Tank Battalion, 3rd Armored Division.

The rear decks are not original but were recovered from a range wreck fro the restoration in the 80's. In 1972 the commanders hatch was stolen and kept as a souvenir for 30 years, In 2002 the thief felt sorry about his act and he brought it back. After about 30 years, the hatch was back where it belongs. The co-drivers hatch has been buckled and jammed open since the day it was disabled.

 

 

T/5 Salvatore DiMartino the KIA. Colorized photo, I believe all the insignia, save the Armored Triangle (Maybe) and Driver badge (Maybe) were added post war the 771 to the Triangle no doubt, the Ribbons, and the Rank, and this is a Basic portrait.

[mdk0911]

I always liked this picture (1st) - look at the extra protection on this Sherman (2nd pic)

 

[mdk0911]

What in the heck is this Sherman pulling?

 

[patches]

8 hours ago, mdk0911 said:

What in the heck is this Sherman pulling?

 

Found it, it's a "Battle Sled"

The battle sled, invented by Brig. Gen. John W. O'Daniel (Truscott's successor as commander of the 3d Division), was half a torpedo shell, just large enough to hold one soldier lying down. Six were hooked together and attached to each side of a tank and the twelve sleds were pulled forward in the paths made by the tank's tracks, enabling an infantry squad to accompany a tank without being exposed to small arms fire and antipersonnel mines. After O'Daniel sent Ordnance a sketch of what he wanted, Colonel Jaynes and his staff developed a model with runners, to prevent heat from friction, and made the sleds in an atmosphere of the greatest secrecy in a field near the Capua shops. They set up a production line, using 80 welding sets in stalls under a big circus tent, and with the expert supervision of Sergeant Sellfors as chief welder, Fifth Army and PBS mechanics working in 8-hour shifts manufactured 360 sleds between 29 April and 14 May.

All the sleds were used in the breakout at Anzio. The worst impediments were ditches and mines that immobilized the tanks. In one regiment a platoon of tanks and four sets of sleds failed to get into action because of rough ground and the loss of several tanks from mines; in another, the results were negligible because the terrain was unsuitable; in a third unit, the towed infantry, supported by the tanks, took a strongly fortified house. Infantrymen were not enthusiastic about the sleds because they felt like "dead ducks" lying so close behind the tanks. General O'Daniel felt that the combat test was not conclusive, and that these special devices should be employed against organized positions when terrain and antitank defenses permitted. Half the sleds were salvaged from the battlefield and used in the invasion of southern France.

 

[patches]

1 minute ago, patches said:

Found it, it's a "Battle Sled"

The battle sled, invented by Brig. Gen. John W. O'Daniel (Truscott's successor as commander of the 3d Division), was half a torpedo shell, just large enough to hold one soldier lying down. Six were hooked together and attached to each side of a tank and the twelve sleds were pulled forward in the paths made by the tank's tracks, enabling an infantry squad to accompany a tank without being exposed to small arms fire and antipersonnel mines. After O'Daniel sent Ordnance a sketch of what he wanted, Colonel Jaynes and his staff developed a model with runners, to prevent heat from friction, and made the sleds in an atmosphere of the greatest secrecy in a field near the Capua shops. They set up a production line, using 80 welding sets in stalls under a big circus tent, and with the expert supervision of Sergeant Sellfors as chief welder, Fifth Army and PBS mechanics working in 8-hour shifts manufactured 360 sleds between 29 April and 14 May.

All the sleds were used in the breakout at Anzio. The worst impediments were ditches and mines that immobilized the tanks. In one regiment a platoon of tanks and four sets of sleds failed to get into action because of rough ground and the loss of several tanks from mines; in another, the results were negligible because the terrain was unsuitable; in a third unit, the towed infantry, supported by the tanks, took a strongly fortified house. Infantrymen were not enthusiastic about the sleds because they felt like "dead ducks" lying so close behind the tanks. General O'Daniel felt that the combat test was not conclusive, and that these special devices should be employed against organized positions when terrain and antitank defenses permitted. Half the sleds were salvaged from the battlefield and used in the invasion of southern France.

 

 

[mdk0911]

Patches - thx for the info as I never saw this before and I wonder how long this was used?  sounds like used at Normandy

[patches]

15 hours ago, mdk0911 said:

Patches - thx for the info as I never saw this before and I wonder how long this was used?  sounds like used at Normandy

Don't think their use was long, the article says used in the Invasion of Southern France.

[patches]

Two destroyed Shermans of Company B 762nd Tank Battalion burn up on Saipan July 1944, Crews I think were all killed. Of the three Army Tank Companies on Saipan, only one was with Shermans, Company B 762nd Tank Battalion, the other two were with Stuarts, Company D 762nd Tank Battalion, and Company D 766th Tank Battalion. Loses in all three companies in total were 18 Killed in Action, 57 Wounded in Action, 6 Missing in Action, 5 Shermans destroyed in  Company B 762nd Tank Battalion, and in both D Companies, 17 Stuarts destroyed.

[collector]

On 5/19/2022 at 3:01 PM, mdk0911 said:

I always liked this picture (1st) - look at the extra protection on this Sherman (2nd pic)

 

 

I recommend this book, I just read it and saw your post of the Brits in a Sherman. See my post about the Duplex Drive Sherman in the Vehicles forum.

[patches]

'Caballero' of 'C' Company, 69th Tank Battalion, 6th Armored Division knocked out in the Ardennes,  Longvilly January 1945. Could so far find more details, like how it was destyoed, by what German unit, and the fate of its crew, like did they all die, or one or two die etc 

[CopOut]

Interesting stuff, thanks.

[Linedoggie]

On 5/1/2022 at 11:35 PM, patches said:

A Sherman of Unknown unit, with German Paratroopers also of an Unknown unit, Normandy.

British M4A4 Sherman (Engine deck is the giveaway), the turret storage bin lid is open as is a rear hull plate bin

[patches]

2 hours ago, Linedoggie said:

British M4A4 Sherman (Engine deck is the giveaway), the turret storage bin lid is open as is a rear hull plate bin

One site gives tank as an M4A3, if it is a British or Canadian one, that would be odd as all four German Parachute Divisions as far as we know, to include the Independent 6th Parachute Regiment fought against the Americans in Normandy.

[Linedoggie]

20 hours ago, patches said:

One site gives tank as an M4A3, if it is a British or Canadian one, that would be odd as all four German Parachute Divisions as far as we know, to include the Independent 6th Parachute Regiment fought against the Americans in Normandy.

ENGINE deck is straight up M4A4. Note the humped radiator for the Chrysler A57 engine

 

 

 

 

[Linedoggie]

I have found the Source of the Image

 

Sherwood Rangers Yeomany -

 

Men of 6. Fallschirmjäger Regiment ' Freiherr von der Heydte' pose beside a knocked out SRY Sherman somewhere in Geel in 10/11 September 1944

[Dogsbody]

As far as I know the M4A4 wasn't used by the US in the ETO. The British did use them, however. Several Fireflies used the M4A4 chassis. M4A4's can also be recognised by their wider bogie spacing but that isn' t much helpful in this case.

[patches]

14 hours ago, Linedoggie said:

I have found the Source of the Image

 

Sherwood Rangers Yeomany -

 

Men of 6. Fallschirmjäger Regiment ' Freiherr von der Heydte' pose beside a knocked out SRY Sherman somewhere in Geel in 10/11 September 1944

That settles that, this has always been thougt of as being in Normandy. Thanks for setting the record straight, Belgium them, Geel is in North East Belgium.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Geel

[Linedoggie]

On 6/14/2023 at 11:02 AM, Dogsbody said:

As far as I know the M4A4 wasn't used by the US in the ETO. The British did use them, however. Several Fireflies used the M4A4 chassis. M4A4's can also be recognised by their wider bogie spacing but that isn' t much helpful in this case.

VERY small usage less than dozen, mostly borrowed Crab Flail tanks with 2AD @ Normandy. And there was some borrowed Fireflys in 1945 but the bn in Italy saw no action.

 

In the CBI the 1st Chinese American Provisional Tank Group used the M4A4 and M3A3's borrowed from British stocks in India.

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Anzio

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Here's a real bizarre one we found, a British Lead Lease one in Africa, at first I though it was the victim of a direct Aerial Bomb hit, but one blog with this picture says it was a damage tank, and the Germans having been masters of the field after the battle wherever this is, and ultimately not having the means of taking it away, purposely blew it up with what must of been a lot of explosives to totally render it unusable and unrecoverable.