Honey tanks

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Belville, Sep 2, 2006.

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  1. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    September 1944
    The contention previously expressed that the removal of the turrets from Stuart recce Tanks was a mistaken policy was amply and sadly proved by the experience of battle. Not less than 80% of the total casualties of the Regt were sustained by personnel of these Tanks owing to heavy enemy shell and mortar fire. An example of this was given on the 5th when the Recce Tp of 12 turretless Tanks was given a special mission of recce of CORIANO, reported not to be held by the enemy. The required information was obtained but the strength of Recce Tp in personnel and Tanks was reduced by 50% during this operation through enemy artillery concentration.

    War Diary of the 4th Hussars in 1944
     
    Owen, Feb 11, 2007
    #21
  2. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Ron Goldstein, Feb 11, 2007
    #22
  3. T. A. Gardner

    T. A. Gardner Senior Member

    The M 3 shown earlier in this thread, The Curse of Scotland has a unique history as well. It was the sole survivor of 7th Armored Brigade's original vehicles in their retreat out of Burma. The turret was later removed and the vehicle became a command tank for the 7th Light Cavaly.
     
    T. A. Gardner, Feb 11, 2007
    #23
  4. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    On famous Stuarts:
    Found out a bit more about 'Fish and Chips', the first Tank to liberate the town of Mons, from a recent magazine article; The town Mayor requested the tank as a monument and it was duly handed over by the GS of 3rd Armoured Division, as nobody was around when it was delivered late at night it was dumped outside the firestation (who later nicked it's engine/s to keep their fire engine on the road) restored to running order in 1984 and now joins in the annual Mons 'tanks in town' event.
    (got to go to that one year, most recent one had at least 4xM5a1, 4xShermans, 2xM36, 5xM18, Pershing, Chaffee, Comet, Hetzer, a Locust, 50xHarleys and many assorted trucks, halftracks and Carriers all doing a circuit of the town...looks marvellous.)

    Looking for a pic of the M5, I see Tanks in town has it's own website:
    Tanks in Town.

    Just noticed this picture of the 2005 event, I really have to see this one day:
    [​IMG]
     
    von Poop, Feb 11, 2007
    #24
  5. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    Where can I have my company bid for repairs to the road surface?
     
    Za Rodinu, Feb 12, 2007
    #25
  6. Kitty

    Kitty Very Senior Member

    Where can I sell a kidney to get to this event?
     
    Kitty, Feb 12, 2007
    #26
  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    WW2Talk trip to Mons coming up then?
     
    Owen, Feb 12, 2007
    #27
  8. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Owen, Feb 14, 2007
    #28
  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    von Poop, Feb 25, 2007
    #29
  10. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Attached Files:

    Owen, Mar 10, 2007
    #30
  11. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Owen
    Thanks for the pics
    You can see how bloody exposed we were !

    I wrote the above last night, now, the next morning, and having had a chance to study the pics in more detail, can I draw your attention to image 16939 ?

    This clearly shows the 30 Browning fore-mounted that I mention in something I posted on the BBC WW2 Archives, as below:

    Friday 13th. April 1945
    Moved over Santerno. Some M.G. nuisance and one H.E. about twenty yards away. Bags of prisoners, Kiss from Signora. "Liberatoris !". Chasing after tedeschis with 30 browning blazing!
    The Browning machine gun referred to was rarely fired in anger, the exception being on this one occasion when I nearly killed Hewie our Stuart Tank driver.
    We had been on the move all day and the Germans were surrendering left, right and centre. To our left, about two hundred yards away, German infantry were climbing out of slit trenches with their hands high and we were gesturing to them to get behind us and to make their way to the rear.
    Suddenly someone to our right opened light rifle fire at us and Busty (SSM ‘Busty’ Thomas) lost patience and yelled at me "Let the bastards have it!" Hewie swung the tank to the right so we could face the new threat and I started firing non-stop, without giving Hewie a chance to drop his adjustable seat down below the level of fire belching from the Browning. A horrified Busty yelled: "Get down you stupid bastard!" and to my immediate relief Hewie disappeared from view before I could hit him.

    The article itself can be seen here:
    BBC - WW2 People's War - Diary Entries 11th April 1945


    Ron
     
    Ron Goldstein, Mar 11, 2007
    #31
  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Great story Ron, Thanks.
     
    Owen, Mar 11, 2007
    #32
  13. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    von Poop, Mar 18, 2007
    #33
  14. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I'm trying to resist the urge to post more IWM photos, but this one just doesn't have the "feel" of a WW2 era photo, just feels too modern, if you understand what I mean. Looks more like the A419 just by our house.


    BU 4972 Stuart tanks of 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, 11th Armoured Division, drive along an autobahn towards Lubeck, 2 May 1945.
    [​IMG]
     
    Owen, Mar 19, 2007
    #34
  15. Ramiles

    Ramiles Researching 9th Lancers, 24th L and SRY



    Published on 29 Mar 2019

    David Fletcher talks about the Second World War M3 Stuart and why this particular version is a hybrid.

    The M3 Stuart was built by the USA for WW2 and went into service in 1941. The tank in this video was gifted to The Tank Museum by the Brazilian Army.

    Largely ref’d as “Gen Stuart” or “Stuart” tank initially in the SRY War Diary – from March 1942, but there’s this: 7th May 1942:

    The tank position is now as follows:-

    RHQ - One Grant; 2(1) Honeys.
    A Sqn - 16(2) Honeys.
    B Sqn - 3 Grants (3) Honeys.
    C Sqn - 4 Grants (4) Honeys.
    Grand total 8 Grants and 25 Honeys; of the 25 Honeys, 10 are trg tanks which will, in due course, be replaced. These are shown in parenthesis above.

    And it switches from ref's to Stuarts and Honeys thereafter throughout.
     
    Ramiles, Apr 3, 2019
    #35
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