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Author Topic: Help identify tank  (Read 4836 times)

Offline mancsman1

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Help identify tank
« on: Wednesday 09 April 14 22:44 BST (UK) »
Help please to identify tank in photo.

Offline Guy Etchells

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Re: Help identify tank
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 10 April 14 04:13 BST (UK) »
Looks like an Israeli Sherman M50, from the shape of the counterweight behind the turret. But depending on the age of the photo could even be a Sherman Firefly

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Offline Spikey68

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Re: Help identify tank
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 10 April 14 06:10 BST (UK) »
Looks more like US M10 Wolverine tank destroyer. Many pics on the net for comparison but the clearest one is the scale model:

http://suntankwork.com/Upload/image/DSC_2147.JPG

Offline barryd

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Re: Help identify tank
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 10 April 14 07:46 BST (UK) »
I see no personal firearms on the men in the photograph! Does that mean they are not in or near the battle at the time the photograph was taken? And the tree. Can it be identified?

Offline Spikey68

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Re: Help identify tank
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 10 April 14 08:08 BST (UK) »
Quote from: barryd on Thursday 10 April 14 07:46 BST (UK)
I see no personal firearms on the men in the photograph! Does that mean they are not in or near the battle at the time the photograph was taken?

It does look like they are posing behind the lines or at the very least when not in imminent danger as the machine gun on the turrent seems to have a dust cover on it.

It is hard to tell if the vehicle is a M10 Wolverine or 17 pounder SP Achilles (still a M10 but with more powerful gun) as the gun isn't showing......looks like the turret has been turned around and facing  backwards (the open hatch cover shows the front end of the vehicle).

Offline nanny jan

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Re: Help identify tank
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 10 April 14 08:56 BST (UK) »
Hi,

Perhaps the Tank Museum could help?

http://www.tankmuseum.org/


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Offline alanmack

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Re: Help identify tank
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 10 April 14 09:57 BST (UK) »
Yes, the two vehicles in the picture are M10 (or M10A1 depending on the power unit) Tank destroyers - Lend lease, U.S. built.

The turrets are reversed in the normal travelling mode so you can't see the main weapon, but as the very long barrel of the 17 pdr is not visible over the rear end of the vehicle, it is not the Achilles version. They still have the American 75mm gun fitted.

The unit is probably an Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery rather than a Tank Regiment. This is backed up by the beret on the guy in the tank suit which is brown rather than a 'tankie's' black one.

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Offline mancsman1

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Re: Help identify tank
« Reply #7 on: Thursday 10 April 14 11:38 BST (UK) »
Many thanks to all who kindly replied.
The man on the far right was my FIL, who was a sergeant in the 75th Anti Tank Regt. He was one of the first to attend at Auswitch when it was liberated.

Offline Spikey68

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Re: Help identify tank
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 10 April 14 12:47 BST (UK) »
Quote from: mancsman1 on Thursday 10 April 14 11:38 BST (UK)
He was one of the first to attend at Auswitch when it was liberated.

Errr, Auschwitz is in Poland and was liberated by the Russians in January 1945, whilst the British were still in Westerm Europe. However, many of the Auschwitz prisoners were forcibly marched to Bergen-Belsen, which was liberated by the British.

Is your FiL still with us? Because I am wondering if Auschwitz was misheard when he actually said Antwerp (the 75th were some of the first to entire the city).
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