Shermans being scrapped

[mvdepot]

Heard there are some Shermans being scrapped in Slovina!!! anyone know any more on this ???

[REME 245]

Quite possibly but if the goverments are not willing to sell or the dealers don't think they can make enough profit, they will stay there.

[ajmac]

More detailed info would be interesting :-)

1) Hanno - How many and of what spec did Czechoslovakia get at the end of the war from US / UK if any?

2) Are they likely to have come via the USSR once the Soviet influence grew?

3) Is it a fairy story

Edited February 13, 2009 by ajmac

[Radek]

More detailed info would be interesting :-)

1) Hanno - How many and of what spec did Czechoslovakia get at the end of the war from US / UK if any?

2) Are they likely to have come via the USSR once the Soviet influence grew?

3) Is it a fairy story

 

answer on the first question I have sended to Hanno one weak ago. :-)

[Snapper]

If it's Slovenia, wouldn't these more likely be the M36s and other kit appropriated from the split with Yugoslavia in 1991?

 

M

[Adrian Barrell]

More detailed info would be interesting :-)

1) Hanno - How many and of what spec did Czechoslovakia get at the end of the war from US / UK if any?

2) Are they likely to have come via the USSR once the Soviet influence grew?

3) Is it a fairy story

 

As Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia and not Czechoslovakia, Q1 might be irrelevant!

They could be M4A3 rebuilt with 76mm guns as seen in Kellys Heroes or M36 or indeed anything!

[ajmac]

I should read more carefully next time... I was sure it said Slovakia :-)

So it should be adjusted thus:

More detailed info would be interesting :-)

1) Not required - quite a lot of info already about... although Hannos input is always eye opening.

2) US I imagine, re Kellys Heroes:-D

3) I wouldn't be surprised, although I've not seen any Sherman photos, only Hellcats & M36s and many of them came to the UK when the wars finished in the late 90s - with Russian Diesel engine conversions I thought.

PS. I promise not to post so rashly in the furture:sweat:

[ajmac]

A couple of photos found on the web from Slovenia, one in the national museum and one on a hill side photographed by a holidaymaker - I like the graffiti. They give a good idea of the Sherman spec used in Yugoslavia post war. As Adrian said before: M4A3s with 76mm upgrade in existing turret. (I always find it difficult to tell late model M4A2s and M4A3s appart from the front....)

Edited February 13, 2009 by ajmac

[mvdepot]

HeHe sorry for the bad spellling last night !! its amazing the effect one pint has!,i heard this from a good friend who has a man on the ground over there!! seeing if i can get a number im just intreseted to see if i can get any internal parts for ours but will pass on all info if it comes!!,cheers

 

Adam

[Adrian Barrell]

A couple of photos found on the web from Slovenia, one in the national museum and one on a hill side photographed by a holidaymaker - I like the graffiti. They give a good idea of the Sherman spec used in Yugoslavia post war. As Adrian said before: M4A3s with 76mm upgrade in existing turret. (I always find it difficult to tell late model M4A2s and M4A3s appart from the front....)

 

The late M4A2(75) were dry stowage and would nave applique armour even on the late hull, only changing to wet stowage with the 76mm. So a late hull, 75mm without applique will be M4A3. Many of which were retrofitted with 76mm post war, often for mutual aid.

[Bazz]

These Shermans in post #8, are these the same model as the ones in Kelly's Heroes.

 

Barry.

[Mark]

What is the difference between "wet stowage" and "dry stowage" please.

 

(not a tank man)

[ajmac]

Yes, the same as in Kellys Heroes.

 

Dry Stowage = Main Gun ammunition is stored in standard steel none armoured racks.

Wet Stowage = Main Gun ammunition is stored in water filled racks to try and reduce the burn tendency of earlier Shermans.

[Bazz]

Thanks very much for your answer.

 

Barry.

Edited February 13, 2009 by Bazz
spelling

[Adrian Barrell]

More to the point, wet stowage is all in the lower hull, dry stowage is in the upper hull and gained the applique armour patches to improve protection. Wet stowage does not require it. All the later series tanks were wet stowage.

As Alastair points out, it was the ammunition stowage that gave Shermans a tendency to burn easily, not the fuel.

[Joris]

And there is another myth busted! I learn something new about shermans here every day, what a fascinating subject!

[mcspool]

If it's Slovenia, wouldn't these more likely be the M36s and other kit appropriated from the split with Yugoslavia in 1991?

 

Read more about Yugoslav Shermans here: http://web.inter.nl.net/users/spoelstra/g104/yu.htm

 

I know a lot of AFVs, especially the M18s and M36s currently on the show circuit, were saved from the scrapper´s torch, but many others were not. As the West was demilitarising the former Yugoslav republic, they made sure to destroy as many light and heavy weapons as possible. A Dutch Army unit wanted to bring home a M36, but they had to hand it in and it was destroyed on a range while being used as a practice target.

 

- Hanno

Edited February 19, 2009 by mcspool

[Sprocket321]

 

this was the M4 at Pristina small arms range in Kosovo. It had been there for quite some time judging by the graffitti weathering and so on. The interior was mostly present if I remember correctly, (that's me in the turret, with two colleagues from Media ops) it was taken on Op Agricola in 1999, The tank had to be moved off the Barracks area by order the top Brass and the gun and turret was jammed, rusted in the position you see, so the barrel was cut off by the REME, the tank low loaded and taken to Pristina scrapyard, it was still there at the end of my tour in June 99, I wonder it it's still there.

This is the retro re graded type of Sherman used in the movie Kelly's Heroes, be amazing if this was Oddballs actual tank.

(Now there's a Urban Myth to start), I have no idea if the tank was cut up or if it's still there in the Pristina Scrapyard. If I remember right, the cut off barrel was dropped down inside the commanders copola, so if it's survived it probably still with the vehicle. Anyone able to update?