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Garry_Redmon · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 3:05 am Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

The StuG during the war had bogged down in a swamp and the crew abandoned it leaving ammunition and other stuff inside. A real time capsule, though the MG and personal weapons were gone. The StuG eventually sank in the bog, but as the years progressed, varying water levels uncovered and re-covered the gun tube resulting in the muzzle brake badly pitted from rust and exposure to the air. The rest of the StuG was protected from the air and remained much as it was the day it got stuck.

I don't have any documents or first-hand accounts on its recovery. There once was a video that played in the museum that showed it being recovered - that was the final successful recovery. There was a previous attempt to recover it that involved putting a tow hook inside the cupola and trying to pull it out without first digging it out. The result was a lot of the roof armor and part of the cupola being torn away.

They finally got more equipment, dug it out enough in front to properly attach tow hooks and then pulled it out. The "owner" of the StuG worked out some kind of trade with the U.S. government and the StuG came to the Patton Museum.

silviop15 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Oct 03, 2015 Posts: 415

Interesting thanks. was the M60A3 on display inside on display on base elsewhere prior to BARC or new from TACOM?

Was the M7 part of the collection also or from one of the other closed museums?

Garry_Redmon · Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 4:58 pm Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

- silviop15

Interesting thanks. was the M60A3 on display inside on display on base elsewhere prior to BARC or new from TACOM?

Was the M7 part of the collection also or from one of the other closed museums?

The M60A3 used to be in front of the old gym, building 6607, near the corner of Eisenhower and Wilson Rd. It was moved inside the museum and we re-painted it best we could. It has now been removed from the museum and sits outside near the staff parking area. The museum staff have plans for re-doing the museum and apparently the M60A3 doesn't have a role in those plans.

All of the other tanks in the museum, except for the StuG III, were "potted plants' that once sat outside on the concrete pads. The M7, along with the others, were repainted and worked into the exhibits.

silviop15 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Oct 03, 2015 Posts: 415

Where did the E8 Sherman inside come from, was it outside originally? What is the story of Storm with the busted tank barrel, battle damage?

Does the Patton museum still have any thing in the archive or did it all go south

silviop15 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Oct 03, 2015 Posts: 415

Edited for clarity

Garry_Redmon · Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:49 pm Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

The E8 Sherman was one of those outside on the concrete pads. It was originally one of six Shermans that had been in storage at Anniston Army Depot. They called the museum and asked if they wanted them. The museum took them and they were used as monument tanks around post. The one in the museum does not have its' cupola. We found one out on the range, but no one seems interested in getting it recovered and installed on the Sherman.

Storm is an M4A4. Supposedly it is British veteran that was used as a range target after the war. There is no documentation to support this claim.

All of the archives and museum library were transferred to Benning.

silviop15 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Oct 03, 2015 Posts: 415

I did not look at Storm very closely but the only damage I saw was the obvious barrel damage.

I heard a rumor that the archives are temporarily at the Infantry museum, is this true?

Garry_Redmon · Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 3:58 am Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

It's true. The Patton Museum's library and archives are stored in the basement of the NIM. I don't know how that affects researchers.

Garry_Redmon · Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 2:41 pm Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

Armor for the Ages at armorfortheages.com/
has been updated with a new article in the Military Vehicles section on the German Marder II tank destroyer. The article is at this link: armorfortheages.com/Mi...IPage.html

The News section has recent activities of the Patton Museum volunteers "Men of Steel" Also new developments on Cobra King and other projects at the National Armor and Cavalry Museum workshop at this link: armorfortheages.com/Ne...s2015.html

Garry

silviop15 · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Oct 03, 2015 Posts: 415

Thanks!!

vagabond · Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

Great updates on NACM goings on! Thanks Garry!

Garry_Redmon · Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 11:38 pm Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

Thanks guys! Trying to find any tidbits of history on these vehicles takes time. So many leads end up with nothing.

Garry

vmmv1 · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 8:55 pm Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

in response to the Stug that came out of the bog in Russia. it came thru England and stayed at my shop for well over a year. We preserved it, drained it, cleaned it and prepped it for display. It had full fuel tanks when it arrived here.

Garry_Redmon · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:26 am Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

Thanks for telling me that. I never knew that. Do you know any of its history, war-time or recovery? I've been told things about how it was damaged during the first recovery attempt and other things on the second and successful recovery.

Garry

Garry_Redmon · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:27 am Post subject: Re: Armor for the Ages

I also remember that you were instrumental in getting the S tank for us too.

G

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