Phandaal Posted June 9, 2000 Share Posted June 9, 2000 This is written by a Russian on a great Soviet Armor page. http://www.history.enjoy.ru/index.html ------ When the war was over on the Far East, some lend-lease Shermans M4A2 (76)W HVSS were rebuilt to evacuation tractors. Their turrets were removed, the opening was covered by steel plates on which the original Sherman commander's cupola was mounted. The tractors were equipped with motorized winch. Most of those tractors were distributed to the repairing rail trains of the Northern Caucasus and Ukraine where they did use till the end 60s. Some vehicles could be found in Ukraine even in 80s, while Morozovskaya rail station (Northern Caucasus) possessed one Sherman used until 1996! According to some sources, in the Russian Federation there is a pair of Sherman tractors still remains in running condition. In 1989, one of them were added to the museum of the Northern Air Forces. It was presented by one of the "Stavropol" rail station of the Northern Caucasus Railway, on which it was used before. By the way, the "Stavropol" had another three Sherman tractors. The last was removed from service in 1995. In November 1997, the Sherman of the Morozovskaya rail station was gifted to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces in Moscow. The museum now plans repair it and restore to the original Sherman tank (with turret). ------ I guess those Shermans really WERE reliable. If not much else. -Out Phandaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Peltz Posted June 10, 2000 Share Posted June 10, 2000 Two summers ago, I saw two tracked vehicles on a flatcar in the local rail yard. When I got closer, they were two M4 "Easy-Eights," sans the turrets, that had been modified by some logging outfit to carry steel spar poles for logging on hillsides. They were a combination of rusty red primer and yellow, but there was no mistaking the chassis and running gear underneath the logging stuff...I took a couple of pictures, but to get in enough of the unit, I had to stand back too far, and it is not obvious in the pictures just what the machinery is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhorse Posted June 10, 2000 Share Posted June 10, 2000 Just yesterday, I saw pictures showing some of the targets we destroyed during our bombing campaign in Kosovo. One of the pictures showed an M-10 Tank Destroyer we had hit. If the picture had been black and white it would have looked as if it had been taken in 1945. [This message has been edited by Blackhorse (edited 06-10-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Germanboy Posted June 10, 2000 Share Posted June 10, 2000 One that did not make it... Got the pictures from my grandfather. http://www.geocities.com/a_biermann/opi/more.htm ------------------ Andreas The powers of accurate perception are often called cynicism by those who do not possess them. (forgot who said it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEF BUNGIS Posted June 10, 2000 Share Posted June 10, 2000 Very nice pics. I wonder if there is anyone here on the board living in Russia or Poland? ------------------ Better to make the wrong decision than be the sorry son of a bitch to scared to make one at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
109 Gustav Posted June 10, 2000 Share Posted June 10, 2000 The Sherm's reliability and ease of maitenence sure is impressive. The same is true with the German Mk. IV. It wasn't an exceptional tank, but it was easy to repair and keep running, and that made it the German's main tank. Mk. IVs have also been used for a long time in some places, even though that design is older than the Sherm. I believe one was used by the Syrian army in the 6 day war, and is now in a museum somewhere in the US. ------------------ There is nothing certain about war except that one side won't win. -Ian Hamilton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Germanboy Posted June 11, 2000 Share Posted June 11, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 109 Gustav: The Sherm's reliability and ease of maitenence sure is impressive. [...] I believe one was used by the Syrian army in the 6 day war, and is now in a museum somewhere in the US. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Even better than that, I distinctly remember (yes, that is how old I am) seeing Shermans being employed in the Lebanese civil wars of the 1980s, and a M5 Stuart in roaming the streets during a coup d'etat in I think Ecuador in the mid-1980s. They are like the energiser bunnies, keep going and going. ------------------ Andreas The powers of accurate perception are often called cynicism by those who do not possess them. (forgot who said it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maj Mertz Posted June 11, 2000 Share Posted June 11, 2000 If you are interested, there is a book called Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks, by Smitriy Loza, a Russian armor officer in WWII. It is a great read and they have it on Amazon. As a former Armor officer I wanted to laugh and cry both.. this guy has some great yarns. ------------------ Those that forget history are bound to repeat it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jager 7 Posted June 11, 2000 Share Posted June 11, 2000 Would be interested if anyone else saw this...back a few years ago (3?) on a CNN news clip from Bosnia I saw a very familiar tank all decked out with extra armor and brush for camouflage. The camera stayed with the vehicle for a few seconds and I was thinking...that is very familiar...what is that??? Then it hit me about two seconds later...it was a German Panther being used by the Serbs. This was as late as 97 or 98. I was very suprised. I IDed it by turret shape, the distinctive interleaved roadwheels and that unmistakeable 75mm/L70 with muzzle brake. Anyone else see that? ------------------ When the situation is obscure....attack! CGen. Heinz Guderian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark IV Posted June 11, 2000 Share Posted June 11, 2000 109Gustav: At the bottom of this linked page are two pictures of MkIVs used by Syria, including the one now on Long Island. http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz3.htm#panzer4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Germanboy Posted June 11, 2000 Share Posted June 11, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Maj Mertz: If you are interested, there is a book called Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks, by Smitriy Loza, a Russian armor officer in WWII. It is a great read and they have it on Amazon. As a former Armor officer I wanted to laugh and cry both.. this guy has some great yarns. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Guy's name is Dmitriy Loza. Did a search on him and he was a Hero of the Soviet Union, and he published some other books as well. Looks like a good read for CM2. Thanks for the info Major. ------------------ Andreas The powers of accurate perception are often called cynicism by those who do not possess them. (forgot who said it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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