"The only Canadian Sherman tank to fight from D-Day to VE day" Topic

The M4 Sherman, nicknamed "Bomb", of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers was the only tank in the Canadian Army to fought continuously from D-Day where it landed on Juno Beach, to V-E Day without missing a day of action.

Full Story: rifles23.com/BombTank.html

This is the tank involved, preserved!

Credit to the Mechanics!

The 1st London Hussars have a Sherman – "Holy Roller" – in Victoria Park in London, Ontario that served from when they landed on Juno Beach to the end of the war. That being said, as I recall it was a Headquarters Tank so probably would not have been in action like "Bomb"

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It even made it into a video game (briefly)

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And as to those mechanics – the guy who arranged the tank to come to London was a tank recovery officer who recovered 51 tanks while under fire

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I spy with my little eye …

It appears to me to be a basic M4. It is clearly a welded, not cast, hull. So neither an M4A1 nor a Grizzly (Canadian built, but M4A1 equivalent). I don't think Canada got M4A3s, and if they did they almost certainly did not in time for D-Day. Also not an M4A4 .. no indication of elongated hull (not as sure on this … I'm not the best judge of the elongation of M4A4s).

The M34 gun mantlet marks this (turret at least) as an early war production unit. The hull front appears to have what may be direct vision blocks for driver and co-driver below the hatch blisters. Again, this marks it as early war production.

The applique armor seems to have been a post-production work-shop add-on. One of the plates, the second (rear-most) on the side facing us, had clearly come off. This is a reasonable result of workshop welding of the applique kits that were sent over in late 1943.

But the hull front is a bit of a mystery to me. It looks to me almost like the hull-front has been up-armored, and there is clearly a one-piece cast transmission housing, which would not have been original to an early war production tank. If I saw nothing but the front slope I would have thought it was a workshop upgraded Sherman Jumbo. But it does not have Jumbo upgraded sides, nor the turret of a Jumbo.

Is there a more interesting story behind this particular vehicle, or am I misinterpreting the picture?

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

It's a panzer tank…

And to compare with Bomb, I bring you the incredible true story of the Atomic Tank..

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or am I misinterpreting the picture?

Yes.

Both Bomb and Holy Roller are M4A2s (Sherman III in UK/CW service). If I'm reading the tea leaves correctly these are both early (but not earliest) Fisher built examples. They have the early cast transmission cover instead of the three piece unit, lack the glacis bump for the twin mgs, retain the direct vision slots for the drivers, and lack the cheek castings on the M34 gun mount to protect the gun from bullet splash. Most likely built in 3rd quarter of 1942. Both vehicles are near identical because both the Hussars and the Sherbrookes were part of 2 CAB and would have drawn their vehicles from stocks in the UK at the same time. The applique would have been applied in the UK shortly thereafter. The glacis on small hatch Shermans is composed of multiple plates/castings welded together.

Check out this site link for more info.

cheers

Let's give it to Charlize Theron as TC with that mechanical arm from the Max movie. I'd make Brad Pitt the gunner, Howard Stern the complaining loader (panzerfaust coming your way), Helen Mirren the MG gunner, and Michael Buble can drive.

It's somewhat amazing that many things survived from D-DAY to VE-DAY.

Wow, Leper Messiah, that site is a rivet counters dream.

It's somewhat amazing that many things survived from D-DAY to VE-DAY

Only to rust quietly outdoors.