DD Shermans

Yeah, but once you've helped the infantry off the beach, they're ok.
ish

And if the beach is secured, you can start landing some proper tanks!
(only kidding Danyel )

They may not have been the best tank ever, but they did the job. I'd rather have had a DD Sherman than a DD Valentine...

 

Ooh, careful, you'll hurt Skua's feelings...

 

Oh I don´t know. The Valentine DD might very well have been just a tad more seaworthy than the Sherman DD.

 

If most any tank comes around the corner to an AT gun then its going to get hammered, even a Tiger.

 

I'd much rather see you come to terms wih the fact that we disagree, and probably never will agree. This is a much more positive view of the dispute don't you think?

And you're right about the AT gun ambush. I should have noted the gun's calibre.

 

BTW, here is a DD Valentine...

[Picture again by kind permission of Tankpark]

 

Great picture ! Do you know when and where it was taken ?

 

No, but I'll ask...
(or maybe Tankpark will browse through and tell us)

 

I for one agree. And I must also state that Danyel has been exemplary in "holding his fire" as of late when provoked.

 

To my understanding , the only dd shermans to make it ashore on Omaha beach were on a lst which blew it's ramp off , trying to lanch the dd's. They were put ashore a coup;e of hours after the infantry secured the beach

 

According to "Omaha Beach: A Flawed Victory", five of 32 DDs from the 741st Tank Battalion supporting the 16th RCT made it ashore at Omaha. the other tanks sank, the majority at launching, due to high swells, ripped or collapsed canvas, and swamping by passing craft. Two DDs made it ashore on their own power and three were landed by an LCT whose ramp was damaged by the sinking of the first tank off (DDs were launched from special LCTs that had modified ramps). Thirty-three tankers drowned.
After seeing the first couple of DDs sink on launching, the naval commanders decided to land the DDs of the 743rd Tank Battalion, supporting the 116th RCT, normally.

Only two companies (B &C) from each tank battalion were DD, the other two comapnies, one medium and one light, were standard M4s and M5s, and were landed normally. The DDs were to land five minutes before H-Hour, and the Company A medium tanks were to land at H-Hour. The plan for Omaha called for launching the DDs from 5,000 yards out, even though there were concerns of carbon monoxide poisioning if they had to travel more than 4,000 yards.

 

Sorry but they didn't sink on launching, The DD that sank have been found and it all points to sinking well after launching.

 

Welcome to the forum Nashorn!

I'm not sure about this, however. The DD Shermans were there to support the infantry; Dieppe had taught that instant tank support can save an invasion.

 

Welcome to the forum Nashorn!

I'm not sure about this, however. The DD Shermans were there to support the infantry; Dieppe had taught that instant tank support can save an invasion.

 

Dieppe taught us lots of things -

Hats off to the 5,000 Canadians (and others) whose experiences made D-Day possible.

 

According to Stephen E. Ambrose's "D-Day", the DD Shermans supporting the 116th Infantry regiment on Omaha Beach's assault sectors Dog White and Dog Green were supposed to land on H minus 5 minutes, that is five minutes before the first wave of infantry landed.

 

DD Tanks at Omaha

The DD's supporting Omaha were launched further out than they were suitable for because the American thought there were heavy guns that could shell the prefered launch point. These gun had in fact been removed shortly before D Day. Many shermans were launched further down the beach than they should have been and tried to turn side on to the waves and got swamped Two shemans did manage to swim ashore arriving with badly depleated fuel and I would imagine severely rattled crews. The rest of the shermans that made it were dropped directly onto the beach. I think the failure of American top brass to provide their first waves of infantly with armoured support can be attributed to America not having a Dieppe experience. The British had learned there just how runny things could going without armoured support

 

The Americans did have observers (and a few Rangers operational) at Dieppe. And I'm sure we passed on a few comments!

But seriously, does anyone know exactly why the Americans largely rejected the use of 'funnies' during the assault?

(my understanding is that they used DD Shermans, and that was it.
British/Canadians used DDs, Mat-layers, Flail tanks, AVRE tanks, bridge tanks, and so on. I am willing to be proved wrong by people with facts! )

 

The Americans, just like everyone else, used the Sherman in just about every roll imaginable. Mine clearing, troop carrying, forward observing, infantry fighting, armor fighting, artillery fire, the list goes on and on.

 

As it was a very convertable vehicle, that doesn't amaze me. It not for nothing it keeps being compared to the Mark IV now is it?
Yes, I like them both for being so all-round.