"Sand Skirts" Topic

Just something I have always wanted to know and always took them for granted but why did the British in WW2 fit sand skirts to their tanks for desert employment? No other nation in WW2 did . It just seems odd if they were not essential at times of material shortages especially metals.

My understanding is that it was to protect the air intakes.

Edward

Reduce dust clouds. Just a guess! Similar technology to mudguards.

Not true, the US fitted many of their tanks with sand shields, the proper term. In fact in mid-43 they became standard with Shermans delivered from the factory.

If you scroll down here you will see a picture of a US Sherman fitted with sand shields in Tunisia as to having them in the desert
link

"Although they were not part of the original design of the Sherman, from about mid 1943 until the end of production, the Ordnance Department required the factory installation of sand shields. They were NOT popular with the troops. "Experience in this theater indicates that sand shields on tanks are superfluous, and are quickly taken off or knocked off by troops. Recommend that War Department be advised and tanks be shipped without sand shields."
link

This is but one of numerous discussions of the sand shield on the Sherman on this site. The original purpose, by the way, was for deflecting debris kicked up by the tracks.

Here is an interesting shot in Casablanca reportedly of the last M4A4 the US shipped directly to Free French Forces in 1943 (later of course they would ship a number of M4A2s to Free French units).

Thanks guys

Interesting

For sure it was to reduce the clouds of sand visible from a distance. Strict speed limits were applied at times, for example to armoured units moving into their forming up points for Alamein, for the same reason. Once they're fighting in NW Europe the sand skirts tend to disappear
EC

OK Lets play devils advocate here. I accept the explanation as why the Brits used them . But if they were so good then why didn't the Axis forces used them in the desert ?

Not so again for US forces. You will see all manner of US tanks in NW Europe 44-45 with sand shields fixed. In fact it was much more common for US tanks in Europe than in North Africa or Sicily for example.

And once again the primary reason for them was to deflect debris kicked up by the treads. This would of course result in among other things reduced clouds of sand since of course tracks would kick up the sand as well as rocks, clods of earth, mud and on and on.

But, as mentioned in the quote above, the troop tended to hate them as unnecessary.

Edited since your question came in as I was posting this. They werent all that effective. Someone in the upper echelons thought they were a good idea but as I said, the troops found them annoying and superfluous.

I agree with your comments they were superfluous .What I find strange as I mentioned in my opening post is that metals were in short supply during WW2 in the UK. That's why you can still see today were cast iron railings had been removed from buildings like churches to be melted down for the war effort. Then we are wasting them producing sand shields!

Many thanks for your input and the other guys as well.

They would probably be a hassle in a real muddy environment. Like in Vietnam some M113 crews removed their "track skirts". They were heavy rubber and fairly easy to remove & replace. link

Plus those WWII "Sand Skirts" would probably get in the way of repairs & maint., … Which is hard enough to do any way. But I can see their usefulness in the desert …

But as you see here on GHQ … many M4s are shown without "skirts" … link

Actually the sand shield may have made more sense in the desert. Once again while the goal was to cut down on debris thrown up from the tracks this would serve several purposes.

It does cut down some on the dust signature though how effectively is open to debate. But also, as kustenjaeger suggests, it can also help to protect air intakes. The A-9 and A-10 tanks only had full length sand shields on their left side for example and partial ones on the right. Cooling for their engines were provided by transverse cooling with air moving from left to right. So only the left side was intake, the right was exhaust. This meant a full length shield was only necessary on the left. Were it designed primarily for cutting down the dust signature than one would expect full shields on the right as well.

So mysteron apparently someone was able to convince the powers that be that despite the short supply of metal the shields provide a necessary function, at least for Commonwealth tanks in the desert. Many decisions, in hindsight, appear rather foolish :)

Yes, in many cases in the desert you can see the signature "Rooster Tail" kicked up by vehicles moving across the terrain.