Jump to content
Battlefront is now Slitherine ×

name that AFV


Recommended Posts

John as usual is spot on

Crusader MK I Gun Tractor equipped with a deep water fording kit allowing it to become amphibious, the Crusader MK I is towing anti-tank gun. MK I Gun Tractor was built by Nuffield Mechanisation and Aero. Normandy, D-Day, June 6, 1944.

http://www.owensarchive.com/world-war-ii/tanks-artillery/crusader-mk-i-gun-tractor-/prod_8304.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This one seems to have build-up sides for deep wading.

Yep, you can see the D-Day loading markings on the front left of the veh:

##51

L.C.T. 4

The British stipulated that all vehs across the beaches in the first, er, 6 hours(?) would be tracked. Wheels were only allowed sometime after that. That's a good part of the reason why all the assault divs had their 25-pr regts replaced with SPs, either Priests or Sextons.

That particular veh in the photo is from either 246 Bty, 62 A/Tk Regt, RA (an I Corps Regt), or ??? Bty, 73 A/Tk Regt, RA (30 Corps)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, you can see the D-Day loading markings on the front left of the veh:

##51

L.C.T. 4

The British stipulated that all vehs across the beaches in the first, er, 6 hours(?) would be tracked. Wheels were only allowed sometime after that. That's a good part of the reason why all the assault divs had their 25-pr regts replaced with SPs, either Priests or Sextons.

That particular veh in the photo is from either 246 Bty, 62 A/Tk Regt, RA (an I Corps Regt), or ??? Bty, 73 A/Tk Regt, RA (30 Corps)

i think its part of the 61st AT reg/51st highland div that landed on the 7th june...

any advance on that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i think its part of the 61st AT reg/51st highland div that landed on the 7th june...

I think you're wrong.

The blue-over-red tac sign with the number "2" on it, and especially the white bar at the top of that tac sign tells you it's a corps unit (white bar at the bottom = army unit)

If it was 61st A/Tk Regt, the tac sign would be blue over red with no white bar, and the number "46" on it, and elsewhere on the vehicle there'd be a Blue-red "HD" divisional sign - probably where the scratched out block is on the vehicle right-front. Incidentally, the shape of that scratched out bloc - if it is the corps symbol - leads me to think this veh is more likely to be from XXX Corps than I Corps, due to the shape of their respective signs (leaping boar vs spearhead)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think it was from 91st because of the deep wading kit and invasion loading markings. AFAIK none of the later arrivals had these things, since they simply weren't needed.

OTOH, I agree that the naming of the indiv tractors is a strong indicator, and the shape of the corps tac sign is more like VII or XIII corps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...