Omi Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 What is this vehicle supposed to be? It looks like a tank that has lost its turret. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntelWeenie Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 It is an infantry carrier converted from obsolescent tanks. Similar in purpose to halftracks, but better armored. There were several versions that were created by removing the turret and installing extra seats, etc. They were used mainly by Canadian forces. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted August 18, 2003 Share Posted August 18, 2003 ...because the Kangaroos were primarily made from Canadian RAM tanks. Though some 80 or so were converted from Priests too, and used by the 3rd Canadian Div as early as july 44. These are not always called 'Kangaroos' in accounts. ("Unfrocked Priests") In NWE, Kangaroos were eventually pooled to 79th 'funnies' Armoured Division, serving in the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment and UK 49th APC Regiment respectively. They were deployed to divisions as needed. For most of 1945, 49th served with XII Corps. Not sure where the Canadians were at. The game piece would probably also be intended to depict the "normal" deturreted Sherman, a field workshop creation used primarily as towing vehicle for 17pdr guns in some armoured units. Regards Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Originally posted by IntelWeenie: It is an infantry carrier converted from obsolescent tanks. Similar in purpose to halftracks, but better armored. There were several versions that were created by removing the turret and installing extra seats, etc. They were used mainly by Canadian forces. As Dandelion points out, the British had a full APC Regiment as did the Canadians. They were the world's first fully tracked armoured personnel carrier. The Universal (Bren) Carrier doesn't really count as that since it was too small to carry a section, and never really intended to deliver entire companies or battalions at the same time through shell and MG fire. The Kangaroos were first used in Normandy (OPERATION TOTALIZE?) to good effect. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Michael, You Monde Noveau heathen you, you are forgetting ze Frrrench. Unforgivabul. The Lorraine 37L series must arguably be counted as the first enclosed and tracked APC to be used in larger quantities in the role. Sorry, I mean used in the rôle. Although quite bizarre in all models and shapes, even more so after they mount the trailer onto the chassis, it worked. Well, sort of worked anyway. I had great fun cruising the maps in ASL in these thingies, pointing fingers at the footslogging Germans, shouting "Panzergrenadier?" and giggling. Cheerio Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darknight (DC) Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 I think the Canadian unit was the first to be used exclusively in the APC role though....There is a great website dedicated to the 1st CACR .....they were 1st known as the 1st Cdn APC Sqdn in Aug '44, then expanded to a full Regt in Oct '44....the British 49th APC Regt was created in Nov '44 (from the 49th RTR)....great stuff. DK [ August 20, 2003, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Darknight_Canuck ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted August 21, 2003 Share Posted August 21, 2003 Good link there, thanks. Though I beg to differ in opinion still. The idea of fully tracked and more or less enclosed armoured vehicles carrying infantry was as I understand it born in WWI, with the need to get across badly mauled and barbed-wired terrain, preferrably protected from machinegun fire and shrapnel. I've seen a number of prototype APC from this time and from between the wars, but have looked at them because they look so spectacular and bizarre, rather than out of any research motive. So I don't know that much about them. Maybe someone else can help here? The French were, as far as I know, the only ones to make real the idea, in spite of their heavy leaning towards wheeled lighter AFV. As I understand it, they ordered the Lorraine APCs as a stopgap measure, as they were developing a more modern design, the prototype of which looks conspicously much like the 15 year younger AMX VCI, which is probably a coincidence I guess. At any rate, the Lorraines equipped the mechanised infantry (BCP) of the armour divisions (DCR), and were thus exclusively used in a dedicated APC role just like the Kangaroos. French BCP platoons were also strikingly modern in organisation by 1940. The Lorraine chassis was used for many other types of vehicles, as is normal for any such design. A comparison is not fair really, as much had happened in the 7 years between the Lorraine and Kangaroo designs. The Kangaroo had more than twice the space inside and almost triple the armour (frontally). Thus considerably more fit for a modern battlefield. Speed was comparable though. The French made the very first halftracks too, in 1910. I remember, because it was a relative of this Kegresse that inspired the Americans to develop their own WWII halftrack series, which is very similar in appearance, but infinitely more modern in performance. The French never used halftracks for troops transport to my knowledge though, only as prime movers and tractors. According to a German source, they dropped the halftrack concept in the thirties and moved along to wheeled (6 and 8 wheels) vehicles instead, but the artillery arm hung on to their halftracks, apparently liking them much. Regrads Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Uber General Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 Omi, the ram is a fantastic 20mm proof APC. Being 20mm proof is very handy in player v player games, as the germans typically have a lot of it. The allied halftracks are not 20mm proof. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 The Allied halftracks aren't wind-, water- or Baked-beans-fired-from-a-straw-proof either, but 20mm FlAK seems to crop up more often. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 Didn't they have like a leather or canvas cover to put over the open top? Not that I've seen any but it would seem reasonable. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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