Joe Ekins Tank question

[Jack]

Hi all,

 

Just working on something and need some clarification (life time of free beer to all those that can help....)

 

1 - what model of Sherman was Joe Ekins Firefly (M4A4?)

2 - his tank was named Velikiye Luki after a  Soviet town - what were the names of the other tanks in his troop (were they named?)

3 - what model Shemans were in the rest of his  squadron?

4 - Wittmanns tank was 007 - what were the numbers of the Tigers knocked out?

5- were all Tigers covered in zimmerit  as standard?

 

Thanks guys!!

[MatchFuzee]

Putting the information together from both sites, it is an M4A4 

From this site:-

http://wiki.wargaming.net/en/Tank:GB95_Ekins_Firefly_M4A4

The Sherman VC Firefly is a British tier 6 premium medium tank.

The British Sherman VC Firefly (A Squadron of the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry) was named after the Soviet town of Velikiye Luki. 

From this site:-

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/can-tell-difference-firefly-guide-sherman-firefly.html

The Firefly conversion was carried out on Sherman I (M4), Sherman I Hybrid (M4 Composite) and Sherman V (M4A4) tanks.

[Jack]

Thanks and that's my issue - I can't find the exact variant Joe was in.

[MatchFuzee]

Isn't it the M4A4 / Vc or am I missing something? 

US designation     British designation
M4 Sherman         Sherman Ic
M4 Composite.      Sherman  Sherman Ic Hybrid
M4A4 Sherman    Sherman Vc

The letter ” c ” at the end of the British designation indicates a vehicle equipped with a 17 Pdr main gun (a British M4A4 with a 75mm main gun is a Sherman V)

[MatchFuzee]

3 hours ago, Jack said:

2 - his tank was named Velikiye Luki after a  Soviet town - what were the names of the other tanks in his troop (were they named?

3 - what model Shemans were in the rest of his  squadron?

Have you asked here? 

Museum of the Northamptonshire Regiment and Northamptonshire Yeomanry Collections

http://northamptonmuseums.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/the-northamptonshire-regiment-collection/

 

3 hours ago, Jack said:

4 - Wittmanns tank was 007 - what were the numbers of the Tigers knocked out?

From this site:-

http://www.panzerace.net/biography/the-final-battle.html

The attack saw Wittmann’s 007 move north on the right side of the RN 158 out of Cintheaux. He was accompanied by signals officer Helmut Dollinger in the second command vehicle 009, and two vehicles from the 101st’s third company: 312 commanded by SS-Oberscharführer Peter Kisters and 314, a mount assigned to SS-Unterscharführer Otto Blase but commanded on that day by SS-Untersturmführer Willi Iriohn. Along with 007, these three vehicles were also hit.

Taking the left flank was Tiger 313 under the command of SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Höflinger, 334 with Heinz von Westerhagen’s younger brother SS-Oberscharführer Rolf von Westernhagen, and the squad leader’s Tiger 304 commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Franz Heurich. Westernhagen would manage to escape intact, as did Heurich who had taken up a safer position to the rear. Höflinger’s mount meanwhile was disabled to the left of the RN 158, but all of the crew had been able to escape. In all, five of the seven Tigers were put out of action during the attack.