![]() ![]() They were launched 2.5 miles out and 32 of the 34 launched arrived at the beach to give cover to the assaulting troops. On Sword beach they arrived much as planned due to the good sea conditions. The Sherman DD tanks were designed to be released from the landing ships two miles off shore and swim to the landing beaches to arrive with or before the first waves of infantry.ĭue to the mixed weather of 6 June 1944 the Sherman DD tanks arrived at the various beaches with mixed results. The first full-scale use of the Sherman DD in action occurred during D-Day. Once ashore the crew could quickly remove the flotation system when the first chance arrived (when they weren’t being shot at). The lower hull was sealed to keep the tank from flooding. For buoyancy a folding screen of water-proofed canvas was fitted around the hull mounted on horizontal metal hoops, further buoyancy, support and rigidity was added by 36 rubber tubes that could be inflated by the crew with a compressed air system. The Duplex Drive system worked by the combination of normal tracks and two propellers to increase propulsion while swimming. By 1944 it was decided that the Sherman was a more suitable tank for conversion to the DD system. In fact many of the US, Canadian and British Sherman DD crews on D-Day had trained initially with Valentine DD tanks. The Nicholas Straussler idea was initially tried on a number of British tanks during its development from 1941. The Sherman DD wasn’t the first tank to be fitted with the unique Duplex Drive (DD) system. The swimming tanks could arrive at the beachhead before or with the first infantry wave offering essential fire support against the defenders positions.Ĭheck out the M4A1 Sherman DD (BR134) in the online store here. The Sherman DD tank was devised as an amphibious tank that didn’t need to be brought to shore in a landing craft, reducing the risk of vital landing ships becoming easy targets during the initial phase of the landing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |