Ready for El Alamein: ideal British tanks

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Rommel in his command vehicle 'Greif'
Rommel-in-command-vehicle-595x397.jpg


A truck mounted 6-pdr anti-tank gun in the Western Desert, 1942.
truck-mounted-6pdr-gun-595x619.jpg


A 25-pdr field gun and 'Quad' artillery tractor in the Western Desert, 1942.
quad-and-25-pounder-595x592.jpg


A 6-pdr anti-tank gun in action in the Western Desert, 1942.
 
Is it me or does the 6 pdr on the truck and as a field gun look quite a large gun BUT when you see a 6pdr in a tank it looks quite small?
 
vinnye said:
Is it me or does the 6 pdr on the truck and as a field gun look quite a large gun BUT when you see a 6pdr in a tank it looks quite small?
Click to expand...

It does doesnt it. I think though its all perspective even a small tank like a Crusader is a good bit bigger than what looks like a 1 ton size truck. If you compare it to a Valentine which is a real small tank the 6 pounder doesnt look so small.

 
A Stuart tank uses a knocked-out PzKpfw III tank as cover while observing the enemy, June 1942.



A knocked-out German PzKpfw III tank being examined by infantry.



A Bren gun carrier crew take the surrender of a survivor from a burning enemy tank.
 
What about taking the Stuart and rushing the production slash development of the M8 HMC? Then, you can move onto the less than ideal but serviceable M8A1 with the M3 75mm gun (although, you won't see me fitting into that turret!).
 
MacArther said:
What about taking the Stuart and rushing the production slash development of the M8 HMC? Then, you can move onto the less than ideal but serviceable M8A1 with the M3 75mm gun (although, you won't see me fitting into that turret!).
Click to expand...


The additional weight might make it too slow for a scout/recon tank.
 
Isnt the M3 75mm gun a bit too big for a Stuart having seen one in a museum it was a tight squeeze with a 37mm gun. A Hetzer type vehicle with a 75mm might have been possible but still a bit snug for anyone other than Droopy and Sneezy.
 
Anyway, here is it's companion, armed with Flakvierling. Dave ought to love this baby:

 
fastmongrel said:
Isnt the M3 75mm gun a bit too big for a Stuart having seen one in a museum it was a tight squeeze with a 37mm gun. A Hetzer type vehicle with a 75mm might have been possible but still a bit snug for anyone other than Droopy and Sneezy.
Click to expand...


I think MacArther was thinking more along the lines of the M8A1 which had a bigger, open topped turret with a howitzer or medium caliber tank gun.


 
Ahh got you was thinking of a tank not an SP gun. Even the M8 cant have had much room with an M3 gun in it and not much ammo a 75mm gun round is about twice as long as the 75mm howitzer round.
 
M8s have an open topped turret and no co-ax machine gun. They are NOT tanks, 46 rounds of 75mm howitzer ammo and 400 rounds of .50 cal ammo. drivers have to enter and exit through the the turret.

The US built prototypes of an awful lot of "stuff". Since combat was at least 3000 miles away most of this "stuff" was never used in combat unlike some of the German "stuff".
 
Valentine tanks training in the Western Desert, 27 March 1942. A solidly armoured 'infantry tank', it only had a 2 pounder gun which had been useful when confronting the Italians but was no match for the German tanks.



A lorry-mounted 2-pdr anti-tank gun passes a destroyed German PzKpfw tank in the Western Desert, 2 June 1942.



A British infantryman takes the surrender of the crew of an enemy supply truck in the Western Desert, 2 June 1942.
 
stug3 said:
I think MacArther was thinking more along the lines of the M8A1 which had a bigger, open topped turret with a howitzer or medium caliber tank gun.


Click to expand...

Yep, that was the model I was looking at. Not ideal, but better than no HE and still out-ranges the other guns the Brits would be using on their tanks. Either use the M8 in the Direct fire role, or use the M8A1. Replace when possible with better designed tanks!
 
Last edited:
25-pdr field guns in action in the Western Desert, March 1942



Indian desert patrol, 1942. Dont know what vehicle that is. Staghound?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

The Blockhouse, El Alamein, Egypt
Replies
8
Views
1K
Ghosts of War
O
British Balloon Bombs in the Balkans, Summer 1943?
Replies
4
Views
720
Old MacDonald
O
O
British (RAF/SOE) Flight Dates Over Balkans 1943
Replies
6
Views
708
Old MacDonald
O
Ocracoke British Cemetery
Replies
0
Views
569
Njaco
C
looking for information on some servicemen.
Replies
0
Views
364
coffman
C