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Gonna do this again for the interested:

From 28 Nov 2009 work:










Don

For those that want to see the prior discussion:

74.125.93.132/search?q...clnk&gl=us

Neil

Heres a 'new' angle, haven't posted this one before.....



Regards
Don

I mentioned before in response to the issue of the travel lock being too tall that there were two types, one about 5 inches taller than the other. One was meant for small hatch hulls, one for large hatch hulls.

KL

Kurt

Thanks for the info. Its all the little tidbits of detailed information that is helping fill in the 'BIG PICTURE'.

Regards
Don

I had mentioned the P/N before: D52831 = long, D78230 = short. The number is cast onto the main piece, called a Bracket (Every part on the tank is either a Bracket or a Plate . . .)

KL

Yup,.... Long it is...



Regards
Don

Yup. When you see the other type it is obviously much more squat.

To modify my earlier guess as to intended use, it appears the long one was for the 105mm howitzer (bigger tube, so clamp had to be mounted farther out to contact the same diameter as the 75mm/76mm; thus pivots were farther down the glacis and the legs longer) and the short one was for 75mm/76mm. You can see weld scars on a number of surviving M4A3(76) HVSS tanks where the clamp feet have been cut off and moved farther up the glacis. This is evidence that the tank was a converted 105mm.

KL

A little tidbit of information that I picked up today digging thru some stuff at the Library.

The M4A3E2 Medium,(75mm/Wet) was produced in a 3 month production 'run' at the Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal. The monthly production numbers are recorded as follows:

May 44 - 40
June 44 - 110
July 44 - 104

Assuming that they are produced in numerical sequence, SN 50487 (Cobra King) would have a production date of July 1944.

Regards
Don

While we have been 'tinkering' with CK, some interesting impact marks have been 'discovered'.

1) The hole, was initially believed to be a former mount hole, turned out to be a projectile impact hole. It appears to be the size of a .50cal projectile (bullit), having hit the side of the turret, sticking partially into the armor. Penetration is approx 1/4 - 1/2 inch.

2) A 'dent' on the right rear area of the turret, perhaps caused by 'spall' from Artillery fragmentation. Purely speculation, though.



A little tidbit for the masses.....
Regards
Don

Due to other activities on yesterdays work day, I wasn't able to do much work on CK.

We did remove the rear 'mudflaps'. Our work will focus on the removal of the tracks & suspension over the next few months. During this, we hope to get some more clues which might answer some questions to any disabling hits to the hull/suspension.

While tryig to remove the remainder of debris from the Drivers Compartment, I did find a pair of padlock keys, that were wedged beneath the differential housing between the Driver & BOG positiona.



Hard to know what these may have gone to, but perhaps a crewmens footlocker??

....either that or I have finally found the Motor Pool keys to C Co 37th Tank Bn Motor Pool in England,...circa July 1944 !!?? (Just Kidding...)

Regards
Don

it's amazing to see the number of various artifacts that can be found in an old tank..

Could this be the keys from the tank? Don't we have to start the engine with a key, like on usual cars???

P-O

Don - Could you do some detailed measurements of the vehicle OR any parts on it if you have the time? I can express you some photographic scales if you would like some.

Someone is signed for that key...
Dan

Don,

Was CK missing the escape hatch? There were a few Shermans at Rose BKS, and one was missing the hatch, some of my fellow HS comrades used it as a "smoke" hut... I cannot recall which one it was, I never actually went in, the tank was on the HQ lawn and I would be the one who got caught, plus I had no desire for a run in with the pot heads.... I did peek inside once, it was a mess.