American WW2 Tanks - Photos, discoveries and surviving US tanks.
Latest WWII news.
American M4A1 Sherman tank liften from Manila Bay (Article no longer available from the original source)
The Philippine coast guard says the wreckage of an American tank has been lifted from Manila Bay more than 60 years after the end of Second World War. The M4A1 Sherman tank was accidentally recognized stuck in mud underwater by a dredging company near the mouth of Pasig River. The tank had no turret or tracks. Recently a Japanese 105 mm cannon was recovered nearby. Manila saw fierce combat between Japanese and American troops during the liberation of the Philippines in 1945. (-)
Kevin Kronlund collects tanks and World War II vintage military vehicles
If we ever have to fight WW2 again, Kevin Kronlund is ready. He's saved the wheels that saved democracy. He has one of the comprehensive collection of WW2 vintage military vehicles in USA. It includes jeeps, trucks, half-tracks, staff cars, bulldozers, artillery pieces and a Sherman tank. His barns in Spooner, Wisconsin, are packed with 80 military vehicles, from the tiny Cushman scooter (made to be dropped by parachute behind enemy lines during the D-Day) to the colossal 90,650-pound tank retriever (the biggest wheeled vehicle the US Army used during the war). The cannons and machine guns can't fire any longer, but everything else has been restored. (twincities.com)
A M4 Sherman tank confirmed to be the "Cobra King" - The first tank to reach Bastogne
A WWII-era M4 Sherman tank on display at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany has been confirmed to be the "Cobra King," the first tank to reach encircled American troops holding Bastogne. U.S. Army officials announced the discovery, timed to co-occur with the Dec. 26, 1944, anniversary of the Company C, 37th Tank Battalion's famed arrival in Bastogne. The tank was id'ed by serial and registration numbers. Officially designated as an M4A3E2 Assault Tank, the Sherman "Jumbo" was built in mid-1944 at the Detroit Tank Arsenal. Only 254 of the tanks were built. (stripes.com)
Fred Kager collects militaria, World War II tanks
Fred Kager collects all sorts of military equipment, from ammo boxes to jeeps, but what really excites him are tanks. Since 2005 he's restored 3 battle tanks in a large barn beside his house, touring the globe in search of parts and constructing components he couldn't find. Kager's pride and joy is a restored 1944 Sherman tank, meticulously equipped with radios, rifles and other accessories. "It's the only one like it in the world, that's restored to this level," says Kager. He posted photos of the 2-year restoration at fred-d.mypicgallery.com, so history buffs could watch, make suggestions and share the fun. (mysanantonio.com)
The Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant was once the largest in the world
Before fighting broke out between the Allies and the Axis powers, there had never been an effort in the U.S. to coordinate the manufacturing of battle tanks. Also, there was a great deal of skepticism in senior military ranks about the need to mass produce tanks - until Nazi Germany achieved alarming success with Blitzkrieg. With its vast experience with cars and trucks, Detroit was logical location for tank-building program. The result was a massive facility called the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant - the largest tank building facility in the world. At its peak it was running 24 hours a day and 5,400 workers turned out 1,000 tanks a month. (detnews.com)
How do you lose a 15-ton battle tank - American Legion searching M3A1 light tank
U.S. Department of Defense donated an Army tank to the American Legion Post in Sussex Borough to pay tribute to the World War Two veterans. Now Uncle Sam wants its 15-ton tank back, but no one knows where it is. In a letter to American Legion Post 213 Commander Herman Terpstra, the Department of Defense requested that the group return an M3A1 light tank. The letter states that the Legion post is expected to send back either a color photo of the tank or evidence of its whereabouts or bear responsibility for the cost of the vehicle. Since the letter, Cherkas has been busy researching what happened to the so-called "Stuart" or "Honey" tank. (strausnews.com)
World War II US D-Day invasion tank M5 unearthed under a street in France
French bomb disposal experts were called in to make sure the military vehicle posed no danger before it was dug out from its muddy grave in near perfect condition. Council workers came upon the M5 tank as they went through routine repairs to the road in Chartres. It is thought the battle tank from the 31st Tank Battalion formed part of the invasion force that liberated France from the Nazis. Residents recalled the tank entering the cathedral city where it had been performing reconnaissance when it either ran out of fuel or broke down. When France was freed it was pushed down a hole and entombed. (telegraph)
Firm delivers US Sherman M4 E9 tank to a military vehicle collector
A huge US Sherman M4 E9 tank was transported from Boroughbridge by Sowerby Bridge firm Stoneywood Motors. "...this was something we don't do every day," said Steve Fielding. The tank, used as a climbing frame in a children's park in California, was bought by Ken Pugh, a collector of military vehicles. Pugh said it was built during the war and was used as a static tank in the war film Flags of our Fathers. "There are only about half-a-dozen of these tanks left in the world." He has a collection of World War II military vehicles including jeeps and troop carriers and plans opening a museum. (halifaxcourier)
Tank veteran's memories
Louis Baczewski keeps his faded WWII tank driver's license with him all the time. His memories are tied to it. On Veterans Day, he dons his U.S. Army dog tags and wears them proudly, remembering a younger man who achieved the rank of sergeant and drove a tank with the 3rd Armored Division, 33rd Armored Regiment, D Company. He survived the Battle of the Bulge when many others didn't, including his tank commander - and his assistant driver got killed by a German sniper. During the Battle of the Bulge his unit lost 15 battle tanks. The entire 3rd Armored Division lost 163 light and medium tanks. He saw a tank in front of his explode, burning the men inside to death. (bnd)
Neville Smith, wargames with radio controlled WWII battle tank models
Neville Smith has spent $11,000 on 11 radio-controlled tanks to use in scaled-down World War II themed battles. His tanks range from the famous German Tiger 1 to the American Sherman. Each 1/16 scale model costs $1000-$2000 and takes weeks to assemble. "I guess the fact you can shoot one another and play games with the tanks won me over." When he isn't assembling tanks Smith spends hours fashioning toy soldiers and artificial trees to use on the battlefield. Those come in handy at gatherings of radio-control tank lovers. The group was formed by Smith and has 20 members throughout New Zealand. Auckland enthusiasts meet regularly to battle their tanks in wargames. (stuff)
Belgians to restore historic American M4 Sherman tank at Bastogne
An American tank got blasted, though not by one of the usual suspects. Of all people, it was a group of Belgians, and they sprayed the armored vehicle hard enough to peel paint. One of the participants, a soldier, even called the experience a privilege. "I never thought that one day I would work on that tank," said Adjutant Daniel Libert, a maintenance chief at a Belgian military arsenal in Rocourt. If all goes as planned, the Sherman M4 tank, that has been absent from McAuliffe Square in Bastogne, will return by Memorial Day. Bastogne is linked to the largest land battle in U.S. military history: the Battle of the Bulge. (estripes)
Sherman tank gunner during WWII in 7th Armored Division (Article no longer available from the original source)
Lloyd Hull has no idea if he ever killed anyone while firing the big gun on his Sherman tank during World War II. He was a member of the 7th Armored Division, landing well after D-Day, and taking part in the Battle of the Bulge. He was member of the 736th Tank Battalion and a gunner for an M4 Sherman tank: "It was a 76 mm, but nowhere as good as that German 88. Now there was a weapon." Hull noted that infantrymen would always be happy to ride the tanks or shelter behind their armor. "But when fighting started, they'd jump off and move away. They never wanted to be inside a tank while the fighting was going on and I would have jumped off too if I could have." (mansfieldnewsjournal)
M-5 Stuart Light Tank put together collected pieces (Article no longer available from the original source)
Johnny Jay and his friend George DeBonis supplied the military heavyweights for the Memorial Day parade. The two have been collecting military vehicles for about 20-25 years. Their M-24s, Jeeps and 7-ton reconnaissance Scout trucks are a few of the rare objects in the universe not readily available on the Internet. "The M-5 (Stuart Light Tank) we put together from pieces we collected from here, there, and everywhere." DeBonis purchased the M-24 WWII tank 15 years ago from a collector in Indianapolis. (townonline)
Combat hero Dietz : Sherman tanks and panzerfaust squads
Elements of the 38th Infantry Battalion, spearheading the 7th Armored Division, approached the town of Kirchain. GI Jankowski in Dietz's 12-man squad was aboard the third Sherman tank in a line when a German soldier "stood up and fired a bazooka at the lead tank. We all scrambled off the tanks. Then I saw Dietz running and firing into the foxholes. He was grabbing the mines and throwing them off the bridge. As he stood up to signal that the route was clear he was killed by an shot from the left flank." Medal of Honor citation credits Dietz with wiping out 3 two-man panzerfaust (bazooka) squads and leaping into the water to disconnect explosives wired to the bridge. (zwire)
Classic vehicles - Ferrets and Lynxes and Sherman tanks
Ferrets and a black-smoke-belching diesel-powered vintage Sherman make up part of the 72 vehicle collection of the Oshawa Aeronautical, Military and Industrial Museum located at the municipal airport, which served as a Second World War Commonwealth air-training base. One of the goals of the museum volunteers is to have all the vehicles actually run, and more than 40 currently do. A tour begins with the artifact section before moving out to the machinery hanger. This is tightly packed with a Sherman and Chaffee tank, Bren gun carrier, Chevy staff car, a Willys Jeep, a M37 Dodge Power Wagon... (theglobeandmail)
Museum acquired a rare M-36 Jackson tank destroyer (Article no longer available from the original source)
Tank destroyers were meant to combat the big-gunned, heavily armored German Tigers and Panthers that "badly outclassed" the American Sherman tanks during the war. They were basically fast, lightly protected gun platforms firing shells that could penetrate the German armor. Their survival — and that of their crews — depended on speed and elusiveness, rather than heavy armor. Only about 1,500 M-36s were manufactured, and they reached the front in 1944, replacing older, smaller tank destroyers like the M-10 Wolverine and M-18 Bearcat. (newstimeslive)