Picture of the day

Nice pictures of the Ram/Sherman "Kangaroo" APCs above. My late uncle was heavily involved in converting the initial M7 "Priest" SP artillery 105mm chassis into the first "Kangaroos" for operations Totalize and Tractable in Normandy. We continued to use de-turreted Shermans as APCs as late as 1965 when they were replaced by the M113 APCs. I even learned how to drive one of them.

The big problem with the Sherman/Ram Kangaroos as an APC was that they were just as maintenance intensive as tanks, lacked overhead protection from artillery fragmentation, and required the infantry to dismount over the top of the vehicle, rather than using a rear door which was standard on all purpose built APCs following WW2. They were able to withstand .50 cal and all types of small arms fire though, but remained vulnerable to both anti-tank guns and the German Panzerfaust.

Other than being used by some arty OP parties, the Kangaroo was the closest that the Cdn designed and built Ram tank got to combat in WW2. Both the Brits and Cdns deployed a regiment of them controlled at Army level and they were about the best APC that we had in WW2, certainly better than either the M3 halftrack or the BREN gun carrier in this role. The Ram chassis was also used as the basis for the Cdn designed and built "###ton" SP artillery carrier with a 25pdr gun. Both we and the Brits continued to use them for a time after WW2.
 
purple said:
Nice pictures of the Ram/Sherman "Kangaroo" APCs above. My late uncle was heavily involved in converting the initial M7 "Priest" SP artillery 105mm chassis into the first "Kangaroos" for operations Totalize and Tractable in Normandy. We continued to use de-turreted Shermans as APCs as late as 1965 when they were replaced by the M113 APCs. I even learned how to drive one of them.

The big problem with the Sherman/Ram Kangaroos as an APC was that they were just as maintenance intensive as tanks, lacked overhead protection from artillery fragmentation, and required the infantry to dismount over the top of the vehicle, rather than using a rear door which was standard on all purpose built APCs following WW2. They were able to withstand .50 cal and all types of small arms fire though, but remained vulnerable to both anti-tank guns and the German Panzerfaust.

Other than being used by some arty OP parties, the Kangaroo was the closest that the Cdn designed and built Ram tank got to combat in WW2. Both the Brits and Cdns deployed a regiment of them controlled at Army level and they were about the best APC that we had in WW2, certainly better than either the M3 halftrack or the BREN gun carrier in this role. The Ram chassis was also used as the basis for the Cdn designed and built "###ton" SP artillery carrier with a 25pdr gun. Both we and the Brits continued to use them for a time after WW2.
Click to expand...

The 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment was formed and disbanded in Europe.

10 Sep 2011, the Regiment's surviving veterans were presented with a guidon in St Thomas, Ontario. The "Kangaroo" in the CWM collection was floated down to take part in the ceremony.

St Thomas is home to a Reserve Force Combat Engineer Regiment. Before the Regiment was re-mustered to CER, it was known as the Elgin Regiment...a tank delivery unit during the war.

The first CO of the 1st CAPCR was Lt Col Churchill, seconded from the Elgins, hence the "hook" to the Kangaroos.

BTW, the appellation "Kangaroo" was actually a code name for a Field Park located between Longues-sur-mer and Bayeux where the M7 Priests were defrocked. Ram chassis came later.
 
Canadians in Holland

a144085-v6.jpg


arnhem_perth_15apr45.jpg


crerar2.jpg


werlte-11apr45.jpg


kangaroo-holland09nw1.jpg


nether_sniper.jpg


14-0019-4.jpg


1stcorpssigs.jpg


19450513-PA134425-GermanDisarm.jpg
 
Jawohl, I am englishe Soldat!"

He's trying to fit in and be on the winning side, so he's playing the bagpipes. He's disguised himself by wearing a 'Punch' mask under a hooded cowl. But either that's a seagull on his head, or his hat's on fire. Well...at any rate, he seems to have fooled the others in 'his' company!
("Er...Heil Churchill!...?")
 
First mark target, then just wander off.

Oh, and look--Somebody's made a little cross already for the first fellow who gets kilt.
Or is that a marker for the Luftwaffe's impending air strike? That's what the "Kraut" was up to--
"X marks the spot!".

Oh, you mean that OTHER Kraut?? I thought you meant the guy standing by the Zundapp Motorrad!!
OK, the 'fat kraut' with the snow shovel? His orders from OKW said for him to hasten to the RUSSIAN FRONT, ASAP, but he decided on a better strategy: Winter over in Western Europe first.

BTW-- Figure that 'ditch' is a remnant trench of WWI?
 
Sporting Lad said:
Oh, and look--Somebody's made a little cross already for the first fellow who gets kilt.
Or is that a marker for the Luftwaffe's impending air strike? That's what the "Kraut" was up to--
"X marks the spot!".

Oh, you mean that OTHER Kraut?? I thought you meant the guy standing by the Zundapp Motorrad!!
OK, the 'fat kraut' with the snow shovel? His orders from OKW said for him to hasten to the RUSSIAN FRONT, ASAP, but he decided on a better strategy: Winter over in Western Europe first.

BTW-- Figure that 'ditch' is a remnant trench of WWI?
Click to expand...

no, its a ditch at the edge of a field, but a trip to france still shows plenty of evidence from the war, i saw a spot where a tank had crossed the hedge row, and left a still noticeable divot in the rocks and hedge. there was a section of crumbling stone wall at a small crossroads that had bullet holes in it, and plenty of architecture still bears scars from the war
 
"Good training"?

Oh. Yeah. What makes you think HE's the Kraut?
The existence of all the picks and shovels suggests they're a bunch of sappers.
I'm surprised they've been entrusted with a Bren, though.
I think it's a training exercise--everybody looks way too casual for it to be real.
There's even some guys running TO the front!!
That couple talking there would be sniper bait for sure. No, it's 'International'
training, because look, there's even a French Poilu hiding in the ditch, and an
observation tower in the distance. And, whoa, check out the pack that one guy's
humping! Looks like he's got the 120mm mortar rounds--he must be a recruit.
("C'mon, kid, hurry it up--DOUBLE TIME! You, and all those other
bozos behind you are on report!")
 
That dog is a sergeant, at least, with that grizzled 1000 yard stare.

http://2.bp.########.com/-ZqRLcPU_tBY/VB7lB4dx9XI/AAAAAAAA92I/Gint8uzxkj0/s1600/Animals%2Bin%2BWorld%2BWar%2BI%2B(4).jpg
 
Sporting Lad said:
Oh. Yeah. What makes you think HE's the Kraut?
The existence of all the picks and shovels suggests they're a bunch of sappers.
I'm surprised they've been entrusted with a Bren, though.
I think it's a training exercise--everybody looks way too casual for it to be real.
There's even some guys running TO the front!!
That couple talking there would be sniper bait for sure. No, it's 'International'
training, because look, there's even a French Poilu hiding in the ditch, and an
observation tower in the distance. And, whoa, check out the pack that one guy's
humping! Looks like he's got the 120mm mortar rounds--he must be a recruit.
("C'mon, kid, hurry it up--DOUBLE TIME! You, and all those other
bozos behind you are on report!")
Click to expand...

Canadians learned that real picks and shovels save lives. Lots of photos of them being carried in WWII.

What looks like a big rucksack is actually the end of Bren Gun Carrier on the road behind and that man is carrying a Bren Gun.

Notice the shovels:

ortona8.jpg


Canadian_soldiers_during_the_Battle_of_Groningen
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom