More Royal Tank Regiment excitement

[Merkin Muffley]

This time in North Africa with 51st RTR in Churchills.

(Linked summary at end for more complete info, but the action first).

[...] this bit is as related by the driver, Tpr John Mitton, of the first Churchill. He could see very little ahead on either side because his driving compartment was set far back from the forward track horns. But he saw enough to write a vivid account a few days later:

"Dropping feet-first through the cupola and nearly massacring the crew, Capt. Hollands gave the order to advance. Moving forward, I found the ground pretty difficult, scrub, rock and very little if any cover. Moving on half-a-mile or so I stopped, not by an order, but because on passing through a patch of bushes the ground fell away, heavily-bushed, farther than I could see through the visor, and rising to the opposite slope, which seemed miles away. Clearly impassable. Could I get down? Over the intercom: 'No! Driver, reverse!' Inch by inch, I backed away. The German ants opened fire from across the wadi. I wished for four reverse speeds at that moment. 'Driver, right. Speed up, broadside on to the wadi and the ants.'

I was told the next day that the German guners hit all around us. I didn't know it then, I just kept moving as fast as possible, crossing the road, round through the trees of a farm, then out into the open and on to a road. The road ran up hill then weaved left and sharp right. Taking this corner in third gear, I drove round and stopped dead.

I appeared for a few seconds to be facing a barricade of greenery blocking the road, surmounted by a big black hole. It was in fact an 88 not more than 30yds away, if that, set up on the left verge. Peering through the visor, I saw a flash of white faces and the hole vanished in a red sheet of flame, blinding me for a moment. The tank rocked, a sound of falling kit in the turret. The right-hand junction box and roof fan had dropped as the shell grazed the turret, taking half the back bin with it. 'We're hit! Traverse right!' over the intercom, 'Right!' in a shout 'not left!' The turret was at 20-to-6 and Mick (the gunner) was struggling to free a jammed 6pdr round which had slipped out of its rack.

Once again the hole vanished in another sheet of flame, but missing us completely this time. During these hectic seconds Hank Howson, the front machine gunner was calmly reloading a new Besa belt as though on range practice. Closing its rear cover carefully, he cocked the gun laid and fired. The tracer streaked into the greenery, then climbed lazily into the air and vanished. The gun crew ran. We had knocked out our first 88! The intercom was deafening as Capt Hollands shouted for the Bren gun, so I pulled past the 88 muzzle, just in case, and waited. The Bren fired one round and stopped. 'Tommy Gun!' - with which he fared no better, firing one burst and jamming. Hollands was now fighting mad. Throwing the Tommy gun after the fleeing Germans, he shouted for grenades, and stood half out of the turret throwing them.

Again I moved forward as ordered. Directly in front was a running mass of grey figures. All guns fired, bowling them over and over until nothing moved."

Makes CMAK/CMBB seem quite realistic - I've had the 'No way could that have missed at that range!' sulks before.

Saving my typing, the summary is here: http://northirishhorse.net/articles/13-2.html

Perhaps I'll continue his story when my finger tips have recovered.

[Other Means]

What's wrong with copy and paste?

Great find, BTW.

[dieseltaylor]

Luck is over-rated!

Of particular interest, on 10th April fire from Churchills BESAs successfully downed a Messerschmitt 110 - the first (and possibly the only) occasion that fire from turret mounted guns had accomplished this feat. The pilot baled out landing almost on top of one of 'B' Squadron's tanks.

Two of B Squadron's personnel had been hurt while under attack from the Luftwaffe. Both incidents were the result of a once-in-a-million happenstance. Driver "Paddy" Hember had his right arm broken when a shell had hit exactly on the tip of one of the conical bolts, affixing the appliqué armour, propelling it into the driver's compartment As usual, when fighting in the mountains, the 6-pdrs were loaded with HE. By chance, a shell from an attacking Messerschmitt went right up the gun's barrel, causing it to fire - the operator (his name eludes me) suffered a broken left shoulder when he was in the way of its recoil

Don't mention cut & paste - he probably does not get enough exercise anyway : )

[Sergei]

I think he's quoting from a book and the web page is only a related reference, so cutting and pasting would only leave him with a broken book.

I'm curious now, though - Muffley's quote from the driver speaks of 'no more than 30 yards', the web page mentions 200 yards. A zero missing? :confused:

[dieseltaylor]

I think the causeway is a completely separate incident as the details do not tally in any respect. I think the next paragraph covers the original quoted section.

The idea of a Churchill charging across a 200metre causeway is good for a laugh as top speed is, depending who you read between 12 and 17mph [25kmh]. So slower than Usain Bolt over 200 metres.