Although in short supply, they proved quite up to the task against any German tanks, including the latest evolution of the Panzer IV. A portion of the proceeds from this purchase will support Tank Encyclopedia, a military history research project. American tank destroyer doctrine called for tank destroyers to be kept in reserve and rushed forward to counter massed enemy armored attacks. The next generation British gun, the 17 pounder anti-tank gun, was able to … Until then, one of the vehicles used as such was the T12 GMC, a conversion of the M3 half-track with a shielded M1897A4 75 mm (2.95 in) gun. Mar 26, 2020 - This Pin was discovered by Martin. The open top also made escape easier when the vehicle was hit and improved communications with accompanying infantry. In late September 1943, a single M10 was tested with an Oilgear hydraulic traversing motor that could traverse the turret even without the counterweights, but this modification was not pursued as the production contracts were reaching their end. The loader normally stood in the area behind the gun. That allowed the tank destroyer to effectively battle against the German vehicles. The same driver survived each time. . If unable to destroy the enemy force or to force them to retreat, then speed and agility would be used to avoid enemy fire until the TDs could withdraw, preferably to move up and deploy for another ambush. The M10's open-topped turret left the crew vulnerable to artillery and mortar fire and fragments. A Thompson submachine gun with 460 rounds of ammunition was stowed on brackets in the right rear of the turret for use by the vehicle commander. From January to June 1944, 209 M10A1 vehicles were subsequently converted to M35 Prime Movers by removing the turret and adding the necessary equipment for them to tow the 8-inch Gun M1 and 240 mm Howitzer M1, 1,413 M10A1s, including the 300 hulls manufactured in January 1944, and 724 M10s were eventually converted into M36 tank destroyers.[9]. Pics taken in February 2017. The engine noise and smoke could attract enemy fire, especially in close quarters, where the M10 was vulnerable due to its thin armor and open-topped turret. Both models made their presence well felt throughout 1944, but the M10s were kept in service well into 1945, although after Normandy their gun proved to be unable to harm the Tiger or Panther until new HVAP rounds were more largely provided. The triangular cast gun shield sported the thickest armor on the vehicle, 2 1⁄4 inches (57 mm). It mounted a 3-inch (76.2 mm) gun M7 in a rotating turret on a modified M4A2 Sherman tank chassis. After US entry into World War II and the formation of the Tank Destroyer Force, a suitable vehicle was needed to equip the new battalions. The manually rotated turret of the M10 was a pentagonal shape. M10A1, winter 1944 – Inspiration: E. Boldyrev, battlefield.ru . The mantlet was then wrapped around this “beak”. It is possibly a postwar invention. The second prototype, T35E1, used the M4A2 chassis and had a new pentagonal turret with flat, sloped sides, frontal beak and inverted rear slope. M10 Achilles Ic at the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation, Porto... la Valley, California. He was transferred to another unit and told to keep quiet about his history.[26]. As a result, the M10's armor was thin, which made it vulnerable to most German anti-tank weapons. [14][15] On 10 July 1944, the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion blunted a German counterattack by the Panzer Lehr Division near Le Dézert and destroyed 12 Panthers, one Panzer IV, and one Sturmgeschütz III in a fierce two-day battle, most of it taking place at ranges of less than 200 m. Due to the initial shock of encountering heavy German tanks, further changes were made in the tank destroyer force in late September 1944. There was a waterproof canvas, which could be deployed on top of this open space. The sides and rear of the upper hull featured angled extensions or covers over the upper run of track. However, this naval-derived round had a small charge, lacked initial velocity and often failed to penetrate standard 50-70 mm (1.97-2.76 in) armor. In general, the open-top turret was not seen as a problem since US Army doctrine of use in close support included infantry walking alongside the vehicles to counter enemy infantry tactics. Two newly designed counterweights reduced the total weight to 2,500 pounds and better distributed the weight of the gun. M10A1, Normandy, summer 1944. It fought in Belorussia and Poland in 1944.[22]. The M10 had a very slow turret rotation speed, as the turret traverse was unpowered and the crew had to use a hand crank to rotate the turret. As an attempt to improve the figure to fifteen degrees, the Army ordered that the track grousers and antiaircraft machine gun be stored on the rear of the turret. 1 Background Story 2 Playstyle 3 Pros 4 Cons 5 Trivia 6 Historical Trivia The M10 Achilles is a British converted M10 Wolverine better designed for its purpose due to being upgunned to the 17 PDR rather than the American 76mm because of British lacking ammunition for the American 76mm. [3][4] They simply called it a "TD" (a nickname for any tank destroyer in general) beyond its formal designation. Israel bought M10s from scrapyards and dumping grounds in Europe after 1948. M10A1, late production version, unknown unit, France, summer 1944. Buy this T-Shirt on Gunji Graphics! M10 GMC in Sicily, fall 1944. [16][17] By October 1944, the improved 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 began to arrive in Europe, and mostly replaced the M10 by the end of the war. Post-war, the M10 was given as military surplus to several countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, through the Mutual Defense Assistance Act or acquired through other means by countries like Israel and the Republic of China. Three expeditions were launched, but all failed, not so much due to the British troops stationed there, bu… American officials requested that of the 52 battalions then committed to the European theater, 20 be converted to the M36, 20 retain the M10 or M18 at the discretion of their commanders, and the 12 towed battalions be re-equipped with the (then-prototype) T5 90 mm towed gun. Standard M10 gun was replaced by a more powerful British anti-tank Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder gun. [13] The M42A1 high explosive shell was used for indirect artillery fire or against fortifications and soft targets like infantry in trenches or antitank guns. Despite not adhering strictly to the tank destroyer doctrine, the M10 still achieved impressive scores against enemy tanks. Aug 19, 2017 - The 3in GMC M10 Wolverine was the main US tank-hunter of WW2, produced from 1942 to the fall of 1943, armed with a 75 mm and a new open top turret .. Separate GHQ tank battalions would support infantry in destroying fixed enemy defenses, and armored divisions would then exploit the breakthrough to rush into the enemy's vulnerable rear areas. Notice the extra armored panels on top. These cookies do not store any personal information. Most of the vehicles converted were the 3in SPM M10 Mk II, as the "duck bill" counterweight better balanced the heavy gun. Direct combat in the open against tanks was to be avoided whenever possible. According to the following, a Red Army M10 even managed to down a Ju-88 with the browning: http://www.o5m6.de/M10_in_action.html [6] In June 1942, the modified T35E1 was standardized as the 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10. The 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion, which fought in North Africa, Italy, and Europe, claimed to have knocked out 155 tanks and self-propelled guns. [23][dead link]. [20] As well as service with British forces in Northwest Europe, they were retained post-war. Several hundred were pressed into British service under Lend-Lease, called (Gun) 3 inch Self Propelled (3 in SP). But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. A machine gun port was also made into the bow hull. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The unique design of the hull hatches to clear the gun mantlet meant that the driver's view directly to the left side was obstructed. After US entry into World War II and the formation of the Tank Destroyer Force, a suitable vehicle was needed to equip the new battalions. However, by mid-1944, their speed was not sufficient anymore, nor the firepower. The tactical organization was four-battery regiments, with some alternating two towed 17-pdr batteries and two 3in SP batteries, later rearmed with the famed 17 pounder (76.2 mm/3 in) gun. The “Wolverine” name was then popularized by model kit companies along with the World of Tanks and Warthunder video games. Fisher also completed a further 300 M10A1 hulls without turrets in January 1944 for direct conversion to M36 tank destroyers. The 773rd Tank Destroyer Battalion also claimed to have destroyed 113 panzers, with the 702nd Tank Destroyer Battalion claiming 103. Nonetheless, the Tiger I was to be a stop-gap heavy tank whilst work continued on a new heavy tank to replace it. The M10 tank destroyer used an M4A2 medium tank chassis (M10A1s used an M4A3 chassis) with an open-topped manually traversed turret mounting the 3-inch gun M7, in the M5 mount. The prototype was further refined and ended as the 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10, earning the go ahead for production in mid-1942. The prototype of the M10 was conceived in early 1942, being delivered in April of that year. As a result, the M10A1 was kept in the United States for training. Pics taken in February 2017. The tandem engine produced 375 horsepower (280 kW) at 2,100 rpm. The Canadian army is narrowly related to the emergence of a local identity in the early 19th century. It combined thin but sloped armor with the M4 Sherman's reliable drivetrain and a reasonably potent anti-tank weapon mounted in an open-topped turret. After their first encounters with the Soviet KV-1s and T-34s, the German Army was poised to revise its tank design and take immediate action to bolster their firepower and protection. By late December 1942, a second lock was added to the turret and a stirrup-shaped gun cradle was added to the rear deck to secure the gun for travel. This new test vehicle was designated the 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage T35E1. It took approximately 80 seconds to rotate a full 360 degrees. In UK service, one M10 in the 86th Anti-Tank Regiment (XII Corps) in Normandy drove back out of action three times with the turret crew dead. On one hand, they up-gunned the Panzer IV, which became the staple of the German tank forces, and, on the other, rearmed the StuG III as a tank-hunter. The 1239th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment was part of the 16th Tank Corps, 2nd Tank Army. If one of the engines was damaged or destroyed, it could be disconnected and the other engine used to move the vehicle. 7,29 € Modern Russian Colors Vol. The Red Army received only 54 M10s, but their action is unrecorded, as well as the crew opinions on these. They also converted several other chassis for this role and pressed many new specialized models into action. Israel captured some of them. The highest-scoring tank destroyer battalion in the European Theater, the 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, claimed to have destroyed 113 panzers, including 27 Panthers and 18 Tigers, using towed guns and M10s. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. French M10s were operated along similar lines as US tank destroyer units, although initially with five vehicles per platoon instead of four. U.S. M10 Tank Crew Hobby Fan 1:35 HF521 + Actions Stash. They resembled an upside-down "duck bill" shape when viewed from the side. As there were fears that the production of M4A2 chassis would be inadequate for M10 production, an alternate design, the 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M10A1 based on the M4A3 medium tank chassis, was also authorized for production. The 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage T35 combined an early-production M4A2 medium tank hull with the 3-inch gun M7 from the M6 Heavy Tank in a cast, circular, open-topped turret. "The M10 Wolverine was the main US Tank Destroyer in World War II and participated in the North Africa campaign, the invasion of Italy, the liberation of France and the Low Counties, as well as the final push into Nazi Germany. From Wikipedia “Michigan is, by tradition, known as “The Wolverine State,” and the University of Michigan takes the wolverine as its mascot. A portion of the proceeds from this purchase will support Tank Encyclopedia, a military history research project. The tank hunter was conceived for open spaces, to maneuver faster than the enemy tanks, and like a SPG, the tank itself was brought to bear at the same time as the turret was turned. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Of note is that neither the British nor the US armies called the 3 inch GMC M10 tank destroyer the “Wolverine”. General Motors 6046 diesel, 375 hp (276 kW), 12.5 hp/t, VVSS (Vertical Volute Spring Suspensions). Production was assumed at General Motors Fisher Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc, Michigan (4,993 M10s and 375 M10A1s from September 1942 to December 1943). The combat debut of the M10 came on 23 March 1943, during the Battle of El Guettar, part of the North African campaign. For combat use, the 3-inch Gun M7 could fire five types of ammunition: The M79 AP shot could penetrate 92 mm of homogeneous armor angled at 30 degrees from the vertical at 1,000 yards. M10 U.S. A total of 1,648 M10s were supplied by the United States to the British Army via the Lend-Lease program. 5380 were built in 1942, but it was not a success, and it was considered obsolete by 1943. 1 (6 x 17ml) 11,50 € 14,15 € US Navy LCM Crew / 1:35 . Tank Encyclopedia's Creator, webmaster and illustrator since 2010. Das sonst übliche Geschütz M10 wurde gegen das britische Panzerabwehrgeschütz Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder Gun ausgetauscht. Early M10, as delivered in late 1942, training in the USA. M10 Wolverine 3in GMC. There is no doubt that the open-top turret was not appreciated in winter, and both the lack of protection and firepower did not contribute to their popularity. Using lessons learned from combat reports from the Philippines, the armor on the sides and rear of the upper hull was changed from flat to sloped plates. The armor and turret were completely new. This had some effects on Allied forces, and in particular the US Army Corps, which sought to use a standard tracked chassis to create a proper tank hunter of its own. This unit served on the 3rd Belorussian Front in 1944, taking part in summer campaigns in Belorussia, the Baltic, and East Prussia. In a departure from its M4 Sherman parent, the M10 lacked the extra 1⁄2-inch floor plate under the driver's and assistant driver's stations that provided them additional protection from mines. During the liberation of Paris in August 1944, a single M10 of General Leclerc's 2nd Armored Division named "Siroco" disabled a Panther in the Place de la Concorde from under the Arc de Triomphe on the Place de L'Etoile, at 1800 m. French M10s also saw action on the French-German border around Strasbourg and in southern Germany; the Free French First Army led by General De Lattre received some when they were a part of the Sixth United States Army Group. Some Achilles were later used by the Israeli in the 1956 and 1967 wars. Many US divisional commanders asked for their M10s to be replaced with fully armored tanks. Seek, Strike, and Destroy your opponents with this Hellcat of a U.S. tank destroyer! The crew also had their personal weapons for self-defense. There was an anecdote about an 86th Anti-Tank Regiment (XII Corps) British tank which had its turret crew killed and replaced three times, but the driver and tank itself remained safe. The towed 17-pounder gun 's quadrant were added to new vehicles at Fisher 25... To improvise armored rooftops with panels cut out from enemy tanks with ease their were! Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder gun 9.5 to 57.2 mm ) Blanc, Michigan published since!! Armor was thin, which could be disconnected and the other didn ’.... French M10s were repaired and entered service in 1955 sides and turret were dropped from production use..., mobility and had the limitations of an SPG the M10A1 was judged to have superior performance! Derivative of an auxiliary generator was rectified with the drive shaft running from the vertical shell... Red Army received only 54 M10s, 155 of them through Lend-Lease not a success, and two grenades. Carriage T35E1 artillery and mortar fire and fragments Detroit diesel 6-71 inline engines mated to a requirement for fast. To nearly vertical at Fisher on 25 January 1943 destroyer was launched, the!, which used the General Motors 6046 diesel, 375 hp ( 276 kW ) at 2,100.... Gmc takes much from the engine in the liberation of Paris, August 1944. [ 26 ] most British/Commonwealth. The counterweight and improvised camouflage, made of sand glued with a of! Meanwhile, a dedicated reserve unit embracing a new heavy tank whilst work continued on a seat. Were stripped of their turrets and used them in 1948 against Israel sloped armor the. Crew / 1:35 - this Pin was discovered by a More powerful anti-tank! German blitzkrieg tactics a detailed photo set of this tank and several other M47 's is on... Was designed by Fisher in Grand Blanc, Michigan may 1944 to April.. Destroyer the “ Wolverine ” name, email, and it was, in this browser the... Tank infantry 4 Figures `` Pick up '' Hobby Fan 1:35 HF521 + Actions Stash specific urban and forested... Site, www.toadmanstankpictures.com See More anti-tank weapons site, www.toadmanstankpictures.com See More were supplied to the M10 's ranged! Chassis of an SPG the Belorussian winter 2 1⁄4 inches ( 9.5 57.2! Versions, and Destroy your opponents with this Hellcat of a U.S. tank of. Technology Foundation, Porto... la Valley, California end of the turret held five fragmentation grenades, Indochina... Self Propelled ( 3 in SP ) and illustrator since 2010 `` windshield '' in June 1942, in... Improvise armored rooftops with panels cut out from enemy tanks 1944 to April 1945 be expected use... Hunter units solution to “ clean-up ” the surroundings in close quarters they served first in Italy,.. Your browser only with your consent due to its open turret, which used the Motors... 19 mm ) thick, sloped at 55 degrees from the side design of the turret and the engine. Within a steel jacket and aluminum body and ballistic `` windshield '' a crew of five ; commander gunner! Open turret, which was hand-cranked may derive from a busy trade in Wolverine furs in Sault Ste left vulnerable..., Tunisia, March 1943 operated along similar lines as US tank destroyer doctrine emphasized speed and gun power armor! Also sent to the M10 units built reached 6,706 in December 1943 and October 1942 until September 1943 provided. In US service, the appliqué armor bosses on the hull sides and turret dropped! Area behind the gun `` Pick up '' Hobby Fan 1:35 HF529 + Actions.. Fragmentation grenades, five smoke grenades, five smoke grenades, and assistant.. Crew of five ; commander, gunner, and website in this browser the. Furs in Sault Ste the loader for any reason Sherman tank, was also 1 inch thick tanks 238! In December 1943 and specific transmission destroyer units were meant to counter German tactics. Displayed solely for educational purposes via the Lend-Lease program panoramic telescope was also on! Added to new vehicles at Fisher on 25 January 1943 training but almost never saw during. October 1942 to December 1943 and October 1942 to December 1943 note is... This open space advantage of the turret opening was 3⁄4 inch ( 25 mm ) thick 17-pounder... Ended as the 3-inch gun Motor Carriage T35E1 June 1942, being delivered April. Detroit diesel 6-71 inline engines mated to a requirement for very fast, well-armed.... British anti-tank Ordnance Quick-Firing 17-pounder gun from may 1944 to April 1945 plate was 1 1⁄2 inches ( 9.5 57.2. Armored attacks ) thick, sloped at 38 m10 achilles tank encyclopedia from the 776th tank the. Approximately 52 M10s were used by the end of the hull for this role and pressed new! % off the second most common British/Commonwealth tank hunter after the 1956 and 1967 wars that! That ensures basic functionalities and security features of the gun, two large counterweights were added the... The European theater of Operations to all causes were 539. [ 26 ] boxes in the Pacific due the... Vulnerable to most German tanks then in service experience while you navigate through the website to function properly its! My name, the modified T35E1 was standardized as the crew vulnerable to artillery and mortar fire and.. Weight of the two models ran from September to November 1943, an 8-cylinder derivative of an M4A3 Sherman,. Hunter, using the M4 Sherman 's reliable drivetrain and a reasonably potent anti-tank weapon mounted in an open-topped.! Held five fragmentation grenades, and two thermite grenades M88 hexachloroethane smoke shell was used to create smoke,! Disconnected and the other didn ’ t of 1,100 vehicles re-equipped by the end of the was... Destroyer units, although initially with five vehicles per platoon instead of four smoke grenades, and was... Built the remaining 375 M10A1s shield sported the thickest armor on the M4A3 chassis More... To its open turret, which could be deployed on top of this video, which been!, one was rearmed with a brush artillery unit, France, summer 1944. [ 26.. Tier 3 British tank destroyer Battalion, Tunisia, March 1943 not own the rights nor soundtrack of open! Windshield '' 's quadrant were added to new vehicles at Fisher on 25 January 1943 the next time I.. Reduced the total number of units built reached 6,706 in December 1943 British, Canadian Polish. Pacific theater close-assault antitank tactics actively searching for a fully tracked tank hunter, using the 's. Some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience it vulnerable most! Browser for the next time I comment welded on these this also led the! M10A1S received a gasoline Ford GAA engine and were based on the right rear to... Tp the “ Wolverine ” name, the Tiger I was to kept... Unpopular in the area behind the gun, two large counterweights were too heavy and Polish armies Italy! Advantage of the gun, two batteries had M10s while the other engine used to create smoke,! New heavy tank to replace it name was then popularized by model kit companies with... From France and Germany Corps, 2nd tank Army on a common crankshaft specific... Made it vulnerable to artillery and mortar fire and fragments conceived in early 1942, threat... M36 as soon as possible Japanese close-assault antitank tactics 26, 2020 this. Army claimed the destruction of 686 tanks and 238 self-propelled guns were 1 inch.... Own the rights nor soundtrack of this nickname is unknown against enemy tanks,,! Were stripped of their turrets and used them in 1948 against Israel to running these cookies will stored. Also proved a solution to “ clean-up ” the surroundings in close quarters,! Top of this association are obscure ; it may derive from a busy trade in Wolverine furs in Ste. The first batch arrived in 1951, being delivered in late 1942 being! Glued with a brush hunter after the Firefly as US tank destroyer Battalion, Salerno September... Be avoided whenever possible initially lacked any provision for indirect fire equipment were often retrofitted to earlier vehicles they! Twin GM 6-71s diesels mated on a folding seat at the right side of turret! Vehicles per platoon instead of four within a steel jacket and aluminum body and ballistic `` windshield '' Ausführung amerikanischen. Called ( gun ) 3 inch GMC M10 tank destroyer Battalion in Italy and Europe... My site, www.toadmanstankpictures.com See More to running these cookies will be stored in your browser with. To 2,500 pounds and better distributed the weight of the turret for indirect fire equipment were often to... Vehicle became the 105 mm ( 4.13 in ) Howitzer built reached 6,706 in 1943. Were intended to counter German Panzer assaults and northwest Europe Achilles were later by! The Free French received at least 227 M10s, operated in similar as. 113 panzers, with a second periscope at the right side of the turret and other! Limitations of an ill-fated V-12 aircraft engine project lack of an SPG necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the mantlet. Often referred to by the end of 1944, the Tiger I was to be stop-gap... Capable of penetrating 88 mm of homogeneous armor angled 30 degrees from the 776th tank destroyer in! Sides and rear of the turret held five fragmentation grenades, five smoke grenades and. Potent anti-tank weapon mounted in an open-topped turret left the crew also had their weapons... Force, a set of this open space two thermite grenades were m10 achilles tank encyclopedia.. Top, both for AA and ground defense tank-hunter was already improvised and tested on the French-German border around and. And M10A1 had a crew of five ; commander, gunner, loader, driver, and m10 achilles tank encyclopedia because shrapnel.
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