"M10 Achilles tank destroyer markings" Topic

I painted a couple TDs to give my 3rd Canadian Division some well needed defense against big cats. They are already painted, and only need decals.
Now this is my question: did the Achilles TDs had the air identification star in Normandy, as almost every other Allied vehicle? I haven't found any pictures. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

link

Not a period photo, but they who restore this stuff usually get it right

I disagree. The markings on a heck of a lot of restored vehicles are often a load of (rhymes with 'tank').

I can't say I've ever seen a star on the glacis plate of a Commonwealth M10, though it's possible. Stars were sometimes seen on the hull or turret sides though, but even they were rare. The air-recognition star (circled) was almost always painted on the engine deck.

M10c SP 17pdrs (the name 'Achilles' was adopted post-war) were used by the Anti-Tank Regiments of Armoured Divisions and Corps. Infantry Divisions used the M10 SP 3-inch.

As with other vehicles, the formation sign painted on the front-left and rear-left. The red-over-royal blue Royal Canadian Artillery flash was painted on the rear-right and front-right. This was superimposed with '77' for Armoured Division AT Regts, or '2' for Corps AT Regts (Corps AT Regts also had a white bar across the top of the flash).

There would also be a square battery marking painted somewhere near the arm-of-service flash on front and rear. This was slightly smaller than the flash and was royal blue, with one red quadrant to indicate which battery in the regiment. This is explained here: link

R Mark Davies;

After all the fine help you have given me hate to disagree. I would say extremely rare but there are examples. For example in the Concord book #7069 "British Armour in North-West Europe: Volume 1 Normandy to Arnhem" by Dennis Oliver, on page 15, the second photo is a photo of an M10 from the 20th Anti-Tank Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Division on 6 June. Visible on the upper right front glacis is a circled star. This is also the subject for a color plate in the same book on page 35 showing the star on the glacis.

Having said that a star, circled or not, on the front glacis of any Commonwealth vehicle in Northwest Europe 44-45 would defintely be an exception and ot the rule.

Thanks for all the useful information.

True enough. And I've got that book :o)

and a bit suicidal as well, even the allies understood that a pronminent star made a fine aiming point