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Pzkpfw-e · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jul 21, 2010 Posts: 1202

Get your bucket & spade out P-O!
www.varmatin.com/artic...98101.html
www.varmatin.com/artic...98103.html

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Panzer E! Hi Folks!

I take it the first link/photo is what was first seen and in the second link/photo is what was under the sand?

Was it in the Normandy area, Southern France or some where else?

Any info on who will be taking it?

Very interesting! Super Thanks Panzer E!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

the_shadock

Hello guys,

many thanks for the links. Indeed, this tank was already listed in the France AFVs register (page 93 of the current version) :

"SAINTE-MAXIME (83120)
La Nartelle beach
M10 Tank Destroyer?? USA/FRA wre Hull totally buried 332

332 Information from “MDS”, Sudwall Superforum, January 2007."

From the sources I had, people thought that the tank was an M10 Tank Destroyer, but it is obvious in the article that the old guy shows a photo of a French M4A4.

P-O

"Was it in the Normandy area, Southern France or some where else?"

this beach is part of the Southern France landing beaches (15 August 1944).

P-O

VonForhud · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Mar 17, 2010 Posts: 162

Yes the seaborne invasion that in fact was larger than the Normandy landings, a fact not many people observe or even know :).

Hanno_Spoelstra · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jun 04, 2006 Posts: 185

Being an M4A4, was it in fact "abandoned by American soldiers after their heroic landing" as the newspaper article states?

I have to admit I'm not up to scratch with the units involved in the landing, could anyone make an educated guess to which this M4A4 belonged?

Here are some more photos, as one can see excavation has begun:
nicokubel.blogspot.com...donne.html

It seems there's not much left to use as a monument. Maybe the best option is to stand it upright?!?

H.

the_shadock · Last edited by the_shadock on Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:14 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hello,

the 1st landing on the La Nartelle Beach (Sainte Maxime), on 15 August 1944, was done by the US 45th Infantry Division.

On 16 August 1944, the French 1st Army started to land on the different beaches of Southern France.

The French 1st Armored Division and 5th Armored Division were part of the French 1st Army. I don't know which French units did land on La Nartelle Beach.

French 1st AD : 2ème Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique (2ème RCA)
2ème Régiment de Cuirassiers (2ème Cuirs)
5ème Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique (5ème RCA)

French 5th AD : 1er Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique (1er RCA)
1er Régiment de Cuirassiers (1er Cuirs)
6ème Régiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique (6ème RCA)

Among these units, the M4A4 was used by :
2ème RCA, 2ème Cuirs, 1er RCA and 1er Cuirs.

So, this particular tank should belong to one of these 4 units, or maybe another French unit that had M4A4s.

I doubt this was used by an American unit.

P-O

the_shadock

I have found that the French 2ème Cuirs did land on La Nartelle beach on 16 August 1944 :
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/2e_régiment_de_cuirassiers

2ème RCA did land on La Nartelle on 9 September 1944 :
http://2chasseursdafrique-memoires.over-blog.com/categorie-11790539.html

don't know about the other units.

P-O

the_shadock

http://www.micromax.tv/film.php?idvideo=603

there is a 11 minutes video there, which shows the tank being pulled off the sand, and being put in the sea water to prevent further damages due to the removal of the sand.
The city has to contact a laboratory to put something on the tank, to prevent corrosion and further damages. They want to display it as a monument.

P-O

T26E4 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Apr 14, 2006 Posts: 42

Some ex-British M4A4s were handed to a few US engineering units prior to the invasion. It is a possible that it was landed by Americans.

the_shadock

- T26E4

Some ex-British M4A4s were handed to a few US engineering units prior to the invasion. It is a possible that it was landed by Americans.

I would be interested to get more information about this.

P-O

Hanno_Spoelstra · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jun 04, 2006 Posts: 185

P-O,

Thanks for digging in the history of the French units plus the video.
Here's hoping the local historians will put some effort in sorting out the tank's history, rather than assuming it's American.

Hanno

PS this is the link that worked for me www.micromax.tv/iphone...dvideo=603

Roy_A_Lingle

Hi Hanno! Hi Folks!

- Hanno_Spoelstra

Here's hoping the local historians will put some effort in sorting out the tank's history, rather than assuming it's American.
Hanno

Lets hope the local historians are only talking about were the tank was made and given time they will be able to nail down the unit that lost it.

Sgt, Scouts Out!

claude_GILLONO · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 25, 2006 Posts: 80

- the_shadock

- T26E4

Some ex-British M4A4s were handed to a few US engineering units prior to the invasion. It is a possible that it was landed by Americans.

I would be interested to get more information about this.

P-O

Steve Zaloga wrote something about this in his Concord about the Specialized Shermies: Dozer-blade equipped Sherman Vs were used in 7th Army.
There is also a photo of a Crab entering St Lô (Sherman V too, of course) when the US forces cleared the town (called Hun Chaser)
HTH

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