"Pictures from Monte Cassino" Topic

Here:

link

Mostly pictures of rubble, but there is an interesting color picture of a Sherman with a camo scheme and a red turret. I think the turret might be red because the paint burned off but the primer didn't? Anyone else have any ideas?

Yes, the Sherman's turret is undoubtedly that way because she brewed up. The hull looks like the classic Brit multi color camo for the theater. I think the color is the scorching of the paint more than exposed primer – combined with rusting of the exposed metal. Cool pics, thanks for sharing them.

Yep, clearly the best way to provide your enemy with construction materials for his defense is to reduce every building in the vicinity to rubble. We should always remember the sacrifice of the men who had to pry the Germans out of that mess.

My Grandfather was there with the 26th Battalion NZEF. Not a nice scene to imagine, to be honest.

My father fought there too. When we went back in 1975 he got to visit the monastery and the top of the mountain for the first time. He was amazed at the view from the the vicinity of the monastery let alone from that structure itself. I remember him saying 'no wonder they could drop shells into our foxholes'. Even with the naked eye you could see pretty much everything in the modern town of Cassino.

My Dad watched it get bombed from LST 197 sitting offshore. He said it was quite the scene!
RIP, Dad.
Peter

I think the Sherman was painted that way. Perhaps for deception? If it had brewed, the ammo would have blown and you would have seen a lot of damage (ie: turret roof splayed off or even dislocated from the hull; bogie assemblies and side hull showing damage, hatches blown off or open, etc.)

Pretty convincing if there are several and remaining still to a gunner!