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Calculated Risk


Guest ChrisC1009

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Guest ChrisC1009

Taken from "Armor in Battle"

Fort Knox Armor School Leadership Branch

Combat Command Bravo, 7th Armored Division, 18 Dec 1944

"While northern and eastern flanks had been heavily engaged, the northeastern sector (A/87, A/38, and B/87) had been rather quiet. The only excitement there had been when an M8 armored car from E Troop destroyed a Tiger Tank. The armored car had been in a concealed position at right angles to run along a trail in front of the main line of resistance. As the Tiger tank passed the armored car, the M8 slipped out of position and started to trail behind the Tiger, accelerating in an attempt to close. At the same moment, the German Tank Comander saw the M8, and started traversing his gun to bear on the armored car. It was a race between the Americans who were attempting to close so that thier puny 37mm would be effective in the Tiger's Achilles heel (its thin rear armor), and the Germans who were desperately striving to bring their '88 to bear so as to blast the "fools" who dared to attempt to fight a 60 ton tank with their little "runabout" and its "pop-gun". Suddenly the M8 had closed to 25 yards, and quickly it pumped in 3 rounds...the lumbering Tiger stopped, shuddered; there was a muffled explosion, followed by flames which billowed out of the turret and engine ports, after which the armored car returned to its position.

Analysis

The "little guy" can get you, too!

I always get a kick out of this one....

Chris Carnes

Major, Armor

USA

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I just killed a Panther today with an M8... I had the Panther kinda surrounded by 2 Sherman 75s and the M8. As it was trying to fire at one of the Shermans (range 20 metres wink.gif ) my M8 got a hit on the side turret and took it out..

As you can imagine all tanks were within 100 metres of eachother, many almost ramming eachother, pumping round after round into the Panther.

I think I have a screenshot of this.. I hope I remembered to save it.

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I'm curious why the Tiger didn't do a sharp turn (while slowing

down forward speed so as not to leave the road if there were

trees in the way off the road) to present it's side/front armor to

the scout? Plus that would make the 88 come to bear faster as well.

One thing is for sure, that M8 would have been blown clear off

the road had that Tiger gotten it's gun around in time. smile.gif

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